Report: Russia warned Israel before expelling attaché
Moscow paper reports Israel received three warnings that Colonel Leiderman was violating Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations before Russia expelled him. In response, Israel vowed he would observe diplomatic law
The Russian foreign ministry warned Israel three times before finally deciding to expel Military Attaché Colonel Vadim Leiderman, a Moscow paper reported Monday.
The Israeli attaché made contact with Russian security agencies without first coordinating his moves with the Russian foreign ministry and the defense ministry's foreign affairs department, the report adds, thus violating diplomatic law.
Russia's first warning came in November of 2009, according to the report. A second letter was sent in April of 2010 and a third in December of the same year. In response, Israel's embassy in Moscow reassured the foreign ministry that all of Leiderman's future steps would "observe the Vienna Convention's orders".
Leiderman has been accused by Russia's spy agencies of attempting to obtain information on Russia's arms deals with Arab countries. He returned to Israel last week and was interrogated extensively by both the Defense Ministry and the Shin Bet. A lie-detector test cleared him of the espionage charges, Israel announced.
But the Russian foreign ministry continues to claim that Leiderman was caught red-handed and arrested on May 12, while seated with a Russian officer at a Moscow coffee shop. He was declared persona non-grata on May 14, and ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.
Despite the recent tensions surrounding Leiderman's expulsion, however, Israel and Russia are scheduled to sign an emergency cooperation agreement next week. Homeland Security Minister Matan Vilnai and his Russian counterpart will sign the accord at the Knesset, the army says.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to this report
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