Suez canal manager spying for Israel sentenced to 10 years

An Egyptian court has sentenced the manager of a shipping services for 10 years of rigorous imprisonment who was spying for Israel about naval movements through the strategic Suez Canal waterway, state media reported on Sunday.

Cairo: An Egyptian court has sentenced the manager of a shipping services for 10 years of rigorous imprisonment who was spying for Israel about naval movements through the strategic Suez Canal waterway, state media reported on Sunday.

Mohamed Ali Abdelbaky Hassanin was convicted yesterday of spying for Israeli spy agency 'Mossad' during 2011 and throughout 2013, as well as passing to the two Mossad officers military secrets and information about traffic in the Suez Canal, MENA news agency reported.

The court found that Hassanin used to pass on information damaging to national security about the movements of Egyptian and foreign warships, particularly Iranian ones, it said.

Hassanin, accused of accepting a large amount of money for spying, was also found guilty of carrying out espionage for Lebanon's Hezbollah group and the Syrian army, Ahram Online said.

Two Israelis were also found guilty of being the Egyptian's handlers. Benjamin Shaul and David Meir were sentenced lifetime imprisonment in absentia, it said.

Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt since 1979.

In October 2011, Egypt freed a US-Israeli dual national, Ilan Grapel, under a prisoner swap deal that saw Israel free 25 Egyptian prisoners, after he was arrested in Cairo and accused of working for Israel's Mossad and sowing sectarian strife in Egypt, allegations he denied.

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