A Cairo Emergency State Security Court convicted an Egyptian citizen of spying for Israel yesterday, sentencing him to 15 years in prison. The convicted man, Walid Ahmed Lotfi Hashim, was accused of having sent a sensitive fax to the Israeli Embassy last year in exchange for $2,500, according to the presiding judge in the case.
Hashim, a 30-year-old lawyer, was arrested at a Cairo coffee shop in October, the judge told reporters after sentencing, and confessed that he was waiting for payment from the Israeli Embassy. The judge further said that Hashim had sent a fax to the Israeli Embassy "that could harm the country's interests" and offered to provide important information about the military unit in which he had served.
There are no appeals in such cases and the convicted man's only recourse is to ask Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for clemency.
Prior to yesterday's verdict, Israeli Embassy officials told the Associated Press that they had no knowledge of Hashim, nor did he send any fax to the Embassy.
An Israeli citizen, Druse businessman Azzam Azzam, has been imprisoned in Egypt on charges of espionage for Israel and the United States since November of 1996. Israel denies that Azzam is an agent.
Hashim, a 30-year-old lawyer, was arrested at a Cairo coffee shop in October, the judge told reporters after sentencing, and confessed that he was waiting for payment from the Israeli Embassy. The judge further said that Hashim had sent a fax to the Israeli Embassy "that could harm the country's interests" and offered to provide important information about the military unit in which he had served.
There are no appeals in such cases and the convicted man's only recourse is to ask Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for clemency.
Prior to yesterday's verdict, Israeli Embassy officials told the Associated Press that they had no knowledge of Hashim, nor did he send any fax to the Embassy.
An Israeli citizen, Druse businessman Azzam Azzam, has been imprisoned in Egypt on charges of espionage for Israel and the United States since November of 1996. Israel denies that Azzam is an agent.