Nahum Manbar, the Israeli convicted of selling chemical weapons and know-how to Iran in 1998 and sent to prison for 16 years, will walk free Monday after having his sentence reduced by a third. Manbar served 14.5 years of his 16 year sentence. Manbar's sentence was commuted by the Israel Prisons Parole Board on Monday, 18 months before his sentence was up. The defense establishment did not contest his release. In a deal with the attorney general's office and the Israel Prisons Authority, Manbar agreed to have no business dealings in the arms industry. According to Israel Radio, Manbar will not be allowed to leave the country, nor will he be allowed to talk to the media. Manbar fled Israel in the 1980s after being involved in alleged fraud. He lived in Poland, where he began selling arms and information to the Iranians including chemical weapons, equipment and expertise. In 1998, Manbar was convicted of assisting the enemy and endangering the security of the state. He was abducted from an apartment in France and brought to Israel after evidence was gathered regarding his dealings with the Iranian regime. Former Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit said Manbar should not have been released early and should have stayed in prison for the duration of his term. "It was hard to convince people in the legal establishment that he was a criminal of the highest order," Shavit told Israel Radio, referring to Manbar's alleged alibi of trying to help the Mossad get information about missing IAF navigator Ron Arad, who was shot down over Lebanon in 1985. "Manbar managed to create an alibi for himself as an assistant to the Mossad, but he really was a villain, he sold weapons, information and know-how to the enemy. The Mossad found out what he was really doing. An Israeli born kibbutznik who served in the Paratroopers Brigade, built for the Iranians the capability for chemical weapons, no less. It is unbelievable that he is being released early," Shavit said.
Israeli who sold chemical arms to Iran released early from prison
Nahum Manbar, convicted of selling chemical weapons and plans to Iran, released from prison following sentence reduction • Former Mossad chief: Manbar should not have been released early, he created a false alibi as an assistant to the Mossad.
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