Spying suspect's name: Yitzchak Bergal • "He has ideology"

Its been permitted to publish the name of the spying suspect: Yitzchak Bergal, indicted, charging him with the offenses of contact with a foreign agent and disclosure intention to cheat, was brought to Jerusalem District court this morning, for remand hearing.

A week ago on Thursday the blackout was removed, and was indicted in Jerusalem District Court against Yitzchak Bergal 47, a member of the Neturei Karta, who is accused of spying, contact with a foreign agent and treason.

Bergal admitted that he went to Berlin to meet with people in the Iranian Embassy. When asked why he did so, he replied: "My view is Neturei Karta and thought it was a good thing to go to the Iranian embassy and ask if they need help from me and general stuff ... e.g. gathering information, as I did not know at that time what exactly they want."

He then described in detail how he came to the Iranian Embassy, with whom he met, presented his views and said that he can collect small things about Israel. Also, he said he received a mailing address for the contact and tried to do it later.

He also spelled out his view that a hundred years before the great rabbis decided not to establish a state before the coming of mashiach, and therefore the state is forbidden and one should protest. He also explained that he turned to the enemy, Iran, and even expected something in return. Other sayings have been delivered after meeting with his lawyers, did not return to the previous remarks, referred to the photographs issued from his computer and his phone, and those related to the case, and again spoke about the meeting with three people in the Iranian embassy.

Attorney Yair Nehorai, claimed that these statements should be ignored, as they were given without the respondent being able to consult with a lawyer. For him, the rule is so clear that you can bring such a claim - the arrest stage.

But at the end of the hearing Judge Yaakov Zaban decided that because it is allegedly security offenses, there is cause for detention, "there is no room to consider the alternative of arrest and detention alternative with any religious institution in the community the respondent comes from."

Concerning the lawyer's request to send the accused to a psychiatric examination, the judge noted that in the material that was there any indication of this. On the contrary, "Browse statements indicate a person who is very familiar with his surroundings, knows and remembers, has an ideology, plans, he understands very well what is before him."

Previous meeting was agreed in court for publishing details of the case except for the name of the accused. The defense argued the need for a gag name order which is necessary to check the defendant's mental condition, but said "there is no justification and therefore I remove the gag order even above the name of the respondent," the judge concluded.

The judge granted the request of the Jerusalem District Attorney, and his arrest was extended until the end of proceedings.

According to the indictment, in January 2011 the man flew from Israel to Berlin. Two days after his arrival, the accused stood at the Iranian embassy, contacted the clerk at the entrance and told him he is an Israeli who wants to talk to them. Following the clerks request, the defendant gave him his passport when at that time wore a white shirt, black pants, tzitzit and kippah.

The clerk instructed the defendant to enter the embassy, where the accused met three people whose identity is unknown; one of them introduced himself as "Haji Baba". The defendant told the Iranians that he is a citizen and resident of Israel, belonging to the fold of "Neturei Karta", and explained to them the principles of faith that rejects the existence of Israel and the desire to replace the existing regime in power of the "Gentiles." The defendant offered the Iranians to collect information for them.

During the conversation the defendant asked the Iranians how they could fail to keep their people in Iran against assassinations by Israel. In response, one of the Iranians asked the defendant if he is not ashamed to make fun of them while he is interested in seeking asylum. The defendant replied that he is not interested in seeking asylum, and that he is even ready to kill a Zionist.

After the meeting, the Iranians told the defendant that they conduct the investigation with other factors at the highest levels. "Haji Baba" gave the defendant a note on which he registered an email address and password and instructed him to get access to email, where he should wait for a message on behalf of the Iranians. Additionally, he instructed the defendant to contact them by phone with the phone number of the embassy.

On 20.1.11 the defendant returned to Israel. After returning to Israel, the defendant examined the email box a number of times in Internet cafes in Jerusalem. Likewise, he called the embassy twice from pay phones. In one case, there was no answer at the embassy. Latter case, the defendant asked to speak with "Haji Baba", but he was told that he is not found.

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