Middle East studies in the News

Court Orders Shin Bet: Indict Suspected Spy or Release Him

by Tamara Traubmann
Haaretz
July 28, 2006

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/743742.html

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/2650

The Haifa District Court ordered the police and the Shin Bet security service yesterday to either to free Professor Ghazi Falah, who was arrested on espionage charges in early July, or to indict him by Sunday.

Falah, an Israeli-Canadian geography professor, was arrested by the Shin Bet on July 12 on suspicion of spying for Hezbollah and Iranian intelligence. He has not been informed of the suspicions against or of what evidence the authorities have against him.

A tenured professor at the University of Akron in the United States, Falah is a renowned expert in Middle East geography.

The police and Shin Bet say that Falah photographed a military antenna near Rosh Hanikra and visited Tehran and Beirut. Falah confirms these facts, but says that his trips were for academic purposes.

His attorney, Hussein Abu Hussein, said that his client was unaware that the antenna - which is about 100 meters tall and visible to all - was a military facility.

Falah's American colleagues say that he made his trips to Arab countries openly, as part of his academic work on Middle East geography. Some of the trips were made together with American colleagues, including Professor Alexander Murphy, former president of the American Association of Geographers.

The court's decision was in response to the appeal that Falah's attorney submitted against the extension of his remand.

Falah has been detained for 21 days, and until Wednesday, he was not permitted to see a lawyer or call anyone, including his family. The Shin Bet and police also imposed a gag order on the affair. The order was lifted on Wednesday after Haaretz petitioned the court.

Note: Articles listed under "Middle East studies in the News" provide information on current developments concerning Middle East studies on North American campuses. These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Watch and do not necessarily correspond to Campus Watch's critique.

receive the latest by email: subscribe to campus watch's free mailing list