German report: 'Uri Brodsky' to avoid jail

Berlin requests Poland extradite Israeli citizen suspected of being Mossad agent but legal complexities may enable him to avoid imprisonment, pay fine

Assaf Uni|Published: 08.06.10 , 00:43

BERLIN - Following a Polish court's decision to extradite "Uri Brodsky" to Germany, media channels believe the Israeli citizen, suspected of working for the Mossad, will only be fined - even if he is found guilty.

At the base of this assessment is the fact that the Polish appeals court decided to extradite him only on charges of forgery, and not for espionage, as demanded by the Polish prosecution, in accordance with the international arrest warrant.

Der Spiegel's website reported Thursday that the ruling binds German authorities to try him for that charge only, for which the punishment is only a fine. In addition, those suspected of forgery are usually not imprisoned during the trial. According to the report, "Brodsky", thought to have worked in Germany under the name Alexander Werin, assisted Mossad agents in obtaining foreign citizenship in many European states including Switzerland, Austria and the Baltic countries.

'Brodsky' in Poland. (Phot: AFP)

The international arrest warrant was issued against him after a German investigation revealed that he helped a man by the name of Michael Bodenheimer – the alleged Mossad agent who took part in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai – obtain a German passport in Cologne, using certificates and affidavits pertaining to Bodenheimer's family.

The two explained to a lawyer in the city the Bodenheimer's father, Hans, immigrated to Israel during the Second World War to flee the Nazis. They presented as proof a passport and a marriage certificate belonging to Bodenheimer's parents. According to German law, such evidence makes it relatively easy for one to obtain citizenship.

"Brodsky" is to be extradited to Germany in the next 10 days, after which, an indictment will likely be filed against him in Cologne on suspicion of helping to obtain a German passport using forged documents. In Germany, merely signing official documents using an alias is considered forgery.

The magazine noted that the penalty for such an offense in German law is a fine, and estimated that the Polish court's ruling may lead to frustration among the law enforcement authorities in Germany. "Brodsky's" lawyers deny allegations that he was working for the Mossad, and have claimed that he is a businessman.