Australian spy faced interrogation

• Tweet

TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- An Australian who allegedly hanged himself in an Israeli jail was heavily interrogated about his work as a spy just before his death, an official said.

Australian broadcaster ABC reported this week that it had evidence that Israel's infamous Prisoner X, jailed in 2010, was an Australian national named Ben Zygier, who also used the name Ben Alon. He was found hanged in a high-security prison cell near Tel Aviv in December 2010, the report said.

The reason for Zygier's arrest and detention wasn't reported.

Zygier's former attorney, Avigdor Feldman, said his client had faced heavy interrogation when he was told he faced a long prison sentence and ostracism from his family.

There was no heartstring they did not pull and I suppose that ultimately brought about the tragic end," Feldman said.

Zygier worked for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, which is facing exposure of its operatives' identities after Zygier's case was revealed, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

"Of course this will be damaging," said former Mossad agent and security agent Gad Shimron.