Trial starts for former Israeli minister charged with spying for Iran
Gonen Segev is accused of helping Israel's sworn enemy after being extradited from Equatorial Guinea earlier this year
A former Israeli government minister charged with spying for Iran has gone on trial in Jerusalem.
Gonen Segev, who was extradited from Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, appeared in court on Thursday.
Israel says Segev, who served as a minister in the mid-1990s, was an agent for Iranian intelligence.
Prosecutor Geula Cohen said the severity of the case – when “a former minister spies … for the country that is considered the biggest enemy of Israel” – cannot be ignored.
Israel considers Iran its biggest threat, citing Iranian calls for Israel’s destruction, Tehran’s support for militant groups such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and its development of long-range missiles.
Segev was imprisoned in Israel after his 2004 arrest for attempting to smuggle 32,000 ecstasy tablets from the Netherlands using an expired diplomatic passport.
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