Egypt convicts 3 men of spying for Israel

Ilan Grapel, a U.S.-Israeli ciziten arrested June 12 on suspicion of spying, is pictured on Egyptian newspapers dated June 13.A 37-year-old Egyptian man and 2 Israelis are convictedThe Israelis were tried in absentiaThe spy ring got under way in 2008

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- An Egyptian court on Thursday sentenced three men -- an Egyptian and two Israeli nationals -- to 25 years in prison for spying for Israel.

Tarek Abdel-Razek Hussain Hassan, 37, the Egyptian owner of an import-export firm, was arrested in August. The Supreme State Security Court's criminal department tried the two Israelis in absentia.

Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon said he had no comment on the case.

Officials charged the three with spying for Israel and harming Egypt's national interests after Hassan tried to recruit Egyptians working in the telecommunications industry to spy for Israel.

Hassan received $37,000 to recruit Egyptians who could spy in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon for the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency.

According to the charges, the spy ring began in May 2008, when Hassan met abroad with the two Israelis.

Hassan is the first person convicted of spying for Israel since Egypt's January 25 revolution, which resulted in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

"This case sends two messages, one to Egyptians and another to Israel," said Abdel Aleem Mohamed, senior researcher of Israel Studies at the Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "To Egyptians, the way they deal with Israel will be different and that national security issues will be dealt with severely. To Israel, they are sending a message that the system has changed from the days of Mubarak."

The case closes as another begins. Ilan Grapel, a 27-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen was arrested June 12 on suspicion of spying. Israel denies he is a spy.

Mohamed predicted none of the cases would dramatically affect relations between the countries.

"This situation won't affect Egypt-Israel ties because Egypt is free to punish whoever compromises the country's security," Mohamed said. "Israel would do the same to an Egyptian spy. Spying is what countries do."

CNN

Convicts to testify for Amanda Knox

Amanda Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the death of her roommate, Meredith Kercher.Knox was convicted of murder in the death of her roommateThe group of convicts include a child murderer and a mafia bossThey are expected to tell a judge that someone else in prison admitted to the crime

Rome (CNN) -- Five prison inmates are expected to appear in an Italian courtroom Saturday to testify on behalf of Amanda Knox, the American student convicted of murder in Italy, according to her lawyers.

Knox, was sentenced last year to 26 years in prison for the death of Meredith Kercher at the villa the two shared in Perugia, the central Italian town where both were students.

Knox has vehemently proclaimed her innocence and her family has continued to fight the conviction.

The inmates testifying Saturday include a child murderer and a mafia boss, lawyers in the case say.

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The inmates are expected to tell the judge at the appeals hearing Saturday that Knox could not have committed the crime because they heard someone else in prison admit to the murder, Knox's attorneys Luciano Ghirga and Carlo della Vedova have said.

One of the witnesses will be Mario Alessi, who is serving a 30-year sentence for kidnapping and killing a 18-month old boy.

Alessi is expected to say that Rudy Guede, who has also been convicted of being involved in Kercher's murder and is serving a 16-years sentence, told him in prison that Knox was not involved in the murder.

Three other prison inmates will testify that they heard Guede say this to Alessi. Guede has denied ever telling Alessi this and claims the killer is Knox.

The fifth inmate expected to testify is Luciano Aviello, who is serving a 16 -year prison term for mafia-related crimes. Aviello is expected to say that it was his brother and Guede who killed Kercher.

CNN