A special military court at the Kirya base in Tel Aviv sentenced on Sunday Lieutenant Colonel Omar al-Hayeb, convicted of severe espionage and contact with a Hizbullah agent, to 15 years in prison.
Verdict
Decorated officer found guilty / Hanan Greenberg
Bedouin lieutenant colonel convicted of espionage, drug dealing, acquitted of treason charges
Al-Hayeb will be immediately dismissed from the IDF.
"I don't care about the decision. I was framed. The State betrayed me, I didn't betray the State," al-Hayeb said upon leaving the courtroom.
"I am strong and I'll continue to fight for my acquittal," he added.
Two months ago, al-Hayeb was found guilty of severe espionage and contact with a foreign agent, and of two other drug trafficking offenses. He was however acquitted of another drug dealing offense and of treason charges.
The judges ruled al-Hayeb's version was false and synthetic. One judge said the officer cannot be convicted of espionage, but other judges disagreed.
'I am innocent'
Following April's ruling, al-Hayeb left the courtroom furious. "I am innocent, I didn't speak to Hizbullah, and I have done nothing."
He added that "Justice was not done here. There is only one truth and I will fight for it."
"After all, several years ago I was hurt in a Hizbullah attack, so why would I go and help them now? All the claims by the prosecution that I spied are false," he said. Al-Hayeb's lawyers said they intend to appeal the conviction.
Al-Hayeb, 43, a father of four and a resident of the village of Beit Zarzir, is hailed as one of the top officers to come out of the Bedouin community.
He spent most of his service in a trackers unit stationed along the northern border, until he was seriously injured in 1996 while in pursuit of Hizbullah terrorists. Al-Hayeb lost one of his eyes in the incident and has since been limited in bodily movements. After a three-year recuperation period he returned to the army and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
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