In the first official statement from Australian officials, Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced on Wednesday 24 Adar 5773 that Prisoner X, who we now know was Ben Zygier, did indeed work for the Government of Israel. Carr fell short of saying that he was an Israeli Mossad agent.

Carr added that at present, there is no information that shows any of his passports was misused, adding “if Australian passports were misused… any country would have to take it most serious for they cannot permit an erosion of the passport system.”

Zygier did in a high security isolation cell in December 2010 and his death and burial remained a secret. The news of his ordeal broke a number of weeks ago, placing a strain on relations between Israel and Australia along with prompting some elected officials to call for a reevaluation of what should be permitted under the banner of “state security” in the future, fearing additional cases of total abuse of one’s civil rights.

Despite previous reports surrounding Zygier, Foreign Minister Carr stated he was not at all connected to the Dubai assassination of senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in 2010.

The official death certificate issued by Israel following Zygier’s autopsy lists suicide as the cause of death. It is reported that he used a wet sheet to hang himself.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)