Makhoul's wife: "The Shin Bet tortured him into confessing."
By JPOST.COM STAFFJanan Makhoul 311(photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Hizbullah spy suspect Amir Makhoul on Thursday denied espionage charges to which he had previously confessed.Army Radio reported that Makhoul, an Arab Israeli political activist, claimed he was not allowed contact with his lawyers for an extended period of time while he was being interrogated. He said that very rough interrogation methods which hurt him mentally and physically were used in order to force him to confess to something that he did not do.RELATED:Activists demand Makhoul be allowed to see attorneyMakhoul's wife, Janan Makhoul, was allowed to meet with her husband on Thursday at the Haifa District Court. She said in an interview with Army Radio, "He is very exhausted and he told me about the torture he underwent in his interrogation. Thirty-six hours without sleep tied to a chair stuck to the floor. That was done so he would confirm the Shin Bet's (Israel Security Agency) claims against him."Janan Makhoul also expressed concerns that she would be framed by the Shin Bet, stating, "When they searched our house they took our cellular phones and they can plant evidence against us like that."The Shin Bet denied Makhoul's claims of torture. A statement released Thursday stated, "At the beginning of the various discussions in court the judge always asked Makhoul how he felt and he answered that he felt good but missed his family."
