Arrest (stock)
Arrest (stock)iStock

An employee of Israel’s Foreign Ministry was arrested earlier this year, after he travelled illegally to Iran, the Shin Bet (Shabak) internal security agency revealed Sunday evening.

The employee in question, a student who was recently hired by the Foreign Ministry but had yet to actually start work in the position, was arrested as part of a joint operation of the Shin Bet and Israel Police’s Lahav 433 special investigations unit.

Authorities suspect the student travelled to Iran, where he reportedly stayed for a brief time, before departing the country.

The Jerusalem district prosecutor’s office is leading the probe into the trip, which has been under investigation for over a month.

On June 9th, the Rishon Letzion Magistrates Court ordered the suspect released, though the case remained under a censorship order. Details of the matter, including the identity of the suspect, remain under the publication ban.