Nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu has petitioned the High Court of Justice to lift the onerous restrictions placed on him since his 2004 release from prison, ynetnews reports.
He argues that the charges that he damaged national security – which landed him in prison for 18 years (12 of them in solitary confinement) were never proved.
Among the restrictions Vanunu seeks to remove is the travel ban that keeps him from visiting his wife in Norway. Vanunu, a convert to Christianity who took the name John Crossman, married theology Prof. Kristin Joachimsen in May at Jerusalem’s Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.
The High Court is due to consider his petition next month.
Vanunu, a former employee of the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, reportedly a site of nuclear weapons production, was convicted of treason and espionage in 1988 after divulging details of the plant to Britain’s Sunday Times, which published the story to great fanfare.
Among the restrictions on him, aside from the ban on travel abroad, Vanunu is required to inform authorities 48 hours in advance before venturing outside his home. He may speak with foreign nationals, but only on a one-time basis, for no more than 30 minutes, in a public place.
