Israeli Operative Released on Bail; Dubai Protests

Even though a Polish court upheld the decision to extradite to Germany an Israeli operative going by the name of Uri Brodsky, Mr. Brodsky avoided espionage charges, thanks to a deal seemingly brokered by Israel with Poland and Germany. Although forgery charges are still pending against him in Germany, Mr. Brodsky was released on bail and has returned to Israel, much to Dubai’s dismay.

As reported earlier, Germany wanted Brodsky for his connection to the January 2010 assassination of important Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. It is believed that Brodsky, who was working in Germany at the time under the name of Alexander Werin, supplied Mossad agents with some of the forged passports they used to enter Dubai unnoticed and carry out their mission.

As soon as Brodsky was arrested in Poland, German officials called for his extradition. Despite Israel’s request to Poland and Germany – Israel being on good terms with both – to stop proceedings, Germany held firm. Prosecutors involved in the case insisted that the illegal use of official German documents in an assassination operation called for trial.

However, instead of facing the expected espionage charges in Cologne, Germany, Brodsky seems to have been let off with a slap on the wrist. The morning after his extradition to Germany on August 12, his trial for the forgery of official documents – which carries a significantly lighter maximum sentence of three years in prison – began with his release. Release on bail that is. Brodsky quickly made his way back to Israel, while Dubai officials protested, demanding Germany explain why it had released on bail a suspect in a murder case.

Israeli sources say that Brodsky will be represented in court by his attorneys – naturally. In Germany, a court official explained to reporters that “[t]he matter can now be dealt with by written proceedings.”