On Wednesday April 21 2004, Mordechai Vanunu was released from prison after spending 18 years behind bars (12 of which were in solitary confinement) for exposing Israel's nuclear weapons program.
On October 5,1986, Vanunu published a report in the London Sunday Times detailing how Israel's Dimona nuclear power plant was producing nuclear weapons. From his report, it was "possible to deduce that Israel had become the world's sixth nuclear power, with a production rate on the order of 10 nuclear weapons per year, and that Israel also produced lithium deuteride, a necessary ingredient for the production of thermonuclear weapons" (BAS). After exposing Israel's WMD program to the media, Vanunu was lured to Rome by Cheryl Hanin, drugged, kidnapped and taken to Israel for trial.
While Vanunu is now free, he is not allowed to speak to foreign nationals or leave the country. The United States will be monitoring Vanunu following his release since talk of Israel's WMD programs is seen as making it more difficult for the US to pressure Iran on its program.
The US Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu | Free Vanunu | Peace Heros | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | Peace Heros | Right Livelihood Award