Egyptian to stand trial for Israel spying--court

Tarek Abdel Rezek Hussein, 37, owner of an import-export firm, was arrested in August on charges of providing Israel with information about Egyptians in telecoms companies who could be recruited to spy in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon.

Hussein, accused of accepting $37,000 for spying, as well as two Israelis who were charged in absentia will be tried at the Supreme State Security Emergency Court. Israel, at peace with Egypt since 1979, has denied involvement in the affair.

"The three defendants are accused of harming Egypt`s national interests by providing information to Israel about officials working in the field of communication who could potentially cooperate with the Mossad," a judicial source said, referring to the Israeli foreign intelligence service.

Egypt and Israel have maintained diplomatic and limited trade ties but their peace has been relatively "cold". Continued Israeli occupation of land Palestinians seek for a state is a key factor in popular Egyptian resentment of the Jewish state.

Egyptian security sources said Hussein confessed in December to spying for Israel, detailing many meetings with Mossad agents in India, China and Thailand among other countries.

Lebanon has witnessed a series of arrests for spying in the past two years, some involving telecom sector employees over similar accusations of espionage on behalf of Israel.

Egyptian authorities have not explicitly said if the Lebanese arrests were linked to Egypt`s. But a second charge accused Hussein of planning to provide information to Israel on potential Syrian and Lebanese operatives.

Other security sources said Hussein collaborated with a Syrian Mossad spy to provide Israel with information on alleged Syrian nuclear activity in 2007.

In 2007, Egypt convicted a 31-year-old Egyptian-Canadian dual national of spying for Israel. Three Israelis were charged in absentia. Israel dismissed the case as a fabrication.

In 1996, Egypt sentenced Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Arab textile worker, to 15 years in jail for spying for Israel. Egypt said Azzam had passed messages in women`s underwear using invisible ink. Both Azzam and Israel denied the charges. (*)