Officials in Israel have lifted a gag order on the arrest and indictment of a Druse resident who is believed to have been spying against Israel for Syria. The suspect, Iyad Jamil Assad al-Johari, 38, was indicted in the Nazareth District Court on Monday in a multi-count indictment including contacting an enemy agent.

According to the information released to the media, Johari was in contact with Syrian intelligence service officials and provided them with information pertaining to IDF activities along the border to that country. The suspect is reportedly a medical student and he was living in Syria from 2002-2012. He was arrested by Israeli officials in June 2012 and has since admitted to passing information from 2005-2008.

He gave information about IDF troop movement along the border, about IDF bases and details including names and troop deployment sizes. He provided his handlers with an Israeli cell phone SIM card and an IDF radio, in addition to maps and Hebrew books.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)