Pollard’s possible release – which was a strong possibility for later this year in any event – should in no way, shape or form take the edge off the frightening agreement with Tehran.
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Pollard, who is now serving a life sentence and has already spent 30 years behind bars, was convicted of giving Israel thousands of classified documents, the extent of which has never been fully revealed.
Pollard was arrested on November 21, 1985 after the conclusion of an investigation into suspicion he was spying for Israel. His pending release could be seen as a concession to Israel, which strongly opposed the just-concluded U.S. nuclear deal with Iran.
REUTERS/Baz RatnerAn ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks past posters calling for U.S. President Barack Obama to free Jonathan Pollard from a U.S. prison, in Jerusalem March 20, 2013.
The statement by Pollard’s lawyers noted that the decision “wasn’t in any way related to US negotiations with Iran”. Pollard is the only American ever sentenced to life in prison for spying on behalf of a U.S. ally.
Because his crime occurred prior to November 1, 1987, he is eligible for parole after 30 years in prison provided he continues to maintain a clean record, and may be released on November 21, 2015.
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Attorney General Loretta Lynch told the Aspen Security Forum Saturday that she believed Pollard had served enough time behind bars and that her office would not ask the Parole Board to block his release.
