Egypt releases alleged Israeli spy in prisoner swap deal

A Bedouin citizen of Israel, who was imprisoned by Egypt for the past 15 years, has been freed in exchange for two Egyptians held in Israel, it was announced on Thursday. 

The Bedouin, identified as Uda Tarabin, was convicted on espionage charges, with Egyptian authorities accusing him of spying for Israel and keeping him in isolation for 11 years at the Lyman Tora Prison near Cairo, Israeli Haaretz reported. 

A statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Tarabin’s release and his arrival in Israel.

“At the same time, Israel released two Egyptian citizens who were imprisoned in Israel and completed their sentences,” the statement said.

The Egyptian government has described Tarabin’s release as a prisoner swap and is expecting Israel to release other Egyptian citizens in the near future. Regarding its two released citizens, Egypt has refused to name their identities and provided no further information.

Tarabin, originally from a tribe in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, moved with his family to Israel after the final Israeli withdrawal from the peninsula in 1982.

According to Haaretz, Tarabin was arrested by Egypt in 2000 when he illegally crossed the border into Sinai to visit his sisters, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for passing on military secrets.

However, Egypt refused to release any information about the arrest until Tarabin’s father hired lawyers and it was not until December 2004 that the Egyptian government informed Israel of Tarabin’s arrest. 

Tarabin, who was 19 when he was arrested, has always insisted he was innocent.

Tarabin's family have accused the Israeli government of not doing enough to secure his release. Israel is known to go to large lengths to ensure that its soldiers are released. In order to secure the release of Gilad Shalit, a soldier who was captured in Gaza in 2006 and held by Hamas until 2011, Israel agreed on a prisoner swap, releasing 1,027 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal.