Peter Hounam
Encyclopedia
Peter Hounam is a British
journalist who has worked for Sunday Times
, The Mirror, the London Evening Standard
, and BBC
Television, as well as having published several books:
In 1996, Hounam founded Vision Paperbacks, of which he is the chairman.
He is most famous for his role in the case of Mordechai Vanunu
, Israeli nuclear technician who revealed Israel's secret nuclear bomb programme. Hounam's interview with Vanunu appeared in the Sunday Times
in 1986.
In April 2004, Hounam traveled to Israel for Vanunu's release from prison on April 21, 2004. Vanunu had spent 18 years in Israeli jails, following his abduction from England
(via Italy
) by the Mossad
in 1986.
At 9.30pm on May 26, 2004, while working on a BBC
documentary about Vanunu, Hounam was taken from his hotel in Jerusalem by five plainclothes Shin Bet officers, reportedly for having contact with Vanunu, who is not allowed to see journalists without special permission. Before being taken, Hounam was able to inform an Amnesty International
activist of his arrest, but did not get access to a lawyer.
On May 27, 2004, the Jerusalem district court imposed a gag order
, preventing further details of the arrest from becoming known. Hounam was scheduled to make a court appearance, as the security services request permission from the courts to continue holding him.
Reportedly, on May 22, 2004, Vanunu was secretly interviewed for The Sunday Times, by Yael Lotan, an Israeli journalist. Her two-hour interview was videotaped by an Israeli television crew. Hounam apparently knew of the interview, and was planning to use portions of it in his documentary. He had been on his way to meet Lotan when he was arrested.
Hounam's wife Hilarie Hounam disputed the allegations that her husband violated the conditions placed upon Vanunu's release. Speaking from the family's home in the Scottish town of Aberfeldy she said: "Peter has been absolutely scrupulous in following the letter of the regulations. He hasn't talked to him [Vanunu] since the day of his release, and everything has had to be done second- or third-hand, through his brother and through lawyers." She added: "I think the secret services can pretty much do what they like in Israel, and this is of no surprise to Peter — he's known Israel well for 18 years and has been following Vanunu's case all that time."
Hounam was detained for a day, during which the case attracted intense media coverage, and after which he was released without charge. Israel's Attorney-General reportedly ordered his release, after consulting with the heads of the security services, to lower the profile of the case. Hounam returned to the UK on May 28, 2004, and the BBC announced it would broadcast the Vanunu interview the following Sunday.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist who has worked for Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
, The Mirror, the London Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television, as well as having published several books:
- Secret Cult, with Andrew Hogg, about the School of Economic Science in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, ISBN 0-85648-837-2 - The Mini-Nuke Conspiracy: How Mandela Inherited a Nuclear Nightmare about nuclear weapons in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Viking (October 1, 1995) ISBN 0-670-86925-2 (with Steve McQuillan) - Who Killed Diana? with Derek McAdam, 1998, ISBN 1-901250-17-2
- Operation Cyanide: Why the Bombing of the USS Liberty Nearly Caused World War III, (2003) suggesting that USS Liberty attackUSS Liberty incidentThe USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, , by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy torpedo boats, on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members , wounded 170 crew members, and...
by Israel, with the connivance of President JohnsonLyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
(USA), was to be blamed on EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, to justify attacking that country. ISBN 9781904132196. - The Woman from Mossad: The Torment of Mordechai Vanunu. ISBN 1-58394-005-7 paperback edition title: The Woman from Mossad: The Story of Mordechai Vanunu & the Israeli Nuclear Program
In 1996, Hounam founded Vision Paperbacks, of which he is the chairman.
He is most famous for his role in the case of Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu
Mordechai Vanunu ; is a former Israeli nuclear technician who, citing his opposition to weapons of mass destruction, revealed details of Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986. He was subsequently lured to Italy by a Mossad agent, where he was drugged and kidnapped by...
, Israeli nuclear technician who revealed Israel's secret nuclear bomb programme. Hounam's interview with Vanunu appeared in the Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
in 1986.
In April 2004, Hounam traveled to Israel for Vanunu's release from prison on April 21, 2004. Vanunu had spent 18 years in Israeli jails, following his abduction from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(via Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) by the Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
in 1986.
At 9.30pm on May 26, 2004, while working on a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary about Vanunu, Hounam was taken from his hotel in Jerusalem by five plainclothes Shin Bet officers, reportedly for having contact with Vanunu, who is not allowed to see journalists without special permission. Before being taken, Hounam was able to inform an Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
activist of his arrest, but did not get access to a lawyer.
On May 27, 2004, the Jerusalem district court imposed a gag order
Gag order
A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
, preventing further details of the arrest from becoming known. Hounam was scheduled to make a court appearance, as the security services request permission from the courts to continue holding him.
Reportedly, on May 22, 2004, Vanunu was secretly interviewed for The Sunday Times, by Yael Lotan, an Israeli journalist. Her two-hour interview was videotaped by an Israeli television crew. Hounam apparently knew of the interview, and was planning to use portions of it in his documentary. He had been on his way to meet Lotan when he was arrested.
Hounam's wife Hilarie Hounam disputed the allegations that her husband violated the conditions placed upon Vanunu's release. Speaking from the family's home in the Scottish town of Aberfeldy she said: "Peter has been absolutely scrupulous in following the letter of the regulations. He hasn't talked to him [Vanunu] since the day of his release, and everything has had to be done second- or third-hand, through his brother and through lawyers." She added: "I think the secret services can pretty much do what they like in Israel, and this is of no surprise to Peter — he's known Israel well for 18 years and has been following Vanunu's case all that time."
Hounam was detained for a day, during which the case attracted intense media coverage, and after which he was released without charge. Israel's Attorney-General reportedly ordered his release, after consulting with the heads of the security services, to lower the profile of the case. Hounam returned to the UK on May 28, 2004, and the BBC announced it would broadcast the Vanunu interview the following Sunday.