Channels

Anat Kam
Photo: Moti Kimchi

Kam seeks to remove 'treason' charge from her record

Former journalist convicted of stealing classified IDF documents says that since she wasn’t convicted of offense, having it on her record will 'brand her unnecessarily'

Asserting her rights? Anat Kam, who was convicted of stealing classified IDF documents and giving them to a journalist, filed an administrative appeal against the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to have the charge of treason stricken from her record.

 

The appeal was filed with the Petah Tikva Administrative Court. The IPS said that they have yet to receive the appeal's details.

 

Related stories:

 

Kam, who was convicted of the illegal possession of secret military documents, espionage and leaking classified information, was sentenced to four and a half year in the Neve Tirza Prison.

 

The appeal states that upon beginning to serve her sentence, Kam learned that her prison records say she was convicted of espionage and treason; and when she asked to rectify the mistake, she was told she had to file a formal request via her lawyer.

 


Kam at her sentencing (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

 

Kam then had her attorney file a request with the IPS to change the record entries to espionage and leaking classified information – for which she was convicted.

 

The IPS, however, claimed that there was no mistake and that the entries coincide with the respective articles in the Penal Code: "The entries match the charges appearing in Article D section 7 of the Penal Code – espionage and treason," the IPS told Kam's attorney.

 

According to the appeal, Kam's attorney pursued the matter further, but was told buy the IPS that the records could not be changed, since "the system automatically categorizes the offenses of espionage and leaking classified information under the 'espionage and treason' section."

 

The IPS noted that they system will soon be updated to allow for the reclassification of offenses.

 

"I am not a traitor and I was not convicted of treason," Kam asserted in the appeal, adding that the IPS was perpetuating a grave error in her case, which it refuses to correct. She added that she adamantly "refuses to be associated with a treason offense… The mere definition is highly problematic and will brand (Kam) unnecessarily."

 

Furthermore, the appeal claims that the IPS' refusal to correct the error "infringes on her rights to autonomy, even when in prison."

 

The IPS said that they will respond to the appeal when it is delivered to them.

 

 

  • Receive Ynetnews updates directly to your desktop

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.04.12, 17:12
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment