Pollard’s attorneys appeal terms of release, calling them ‘illegal’ and ‘unreasonable’

Julie Wiener
Published November 20, 2015

(JTA) — Jonathan Pollard’s attorneys are appealing several of the terms of his release, saying they are “illegal.”

Describing the terms as “unreasonable and unlawful,” Pollard’s attorneys said they filed papers Friday challenging the terms in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ynet reported.

Pollard, an American Jew who pleaded guilty in 1987 to sharing classified information with Israel, was released from federal prison on parole early Friday morning after serving 30 years.

His attorneys said Friday that the stipulations placed on Pollard make it all but impossible for the former civilian naval analyst to find a job.

Among the stipulations the attorneys are appealing: the requirement to wear an ankle bracelet with 24-hour GPS monitoring, which they say is harmful to Pollard’s health, and government surveillance of his and his employer’s computers.  Pollard’s attorneys said no employer would agree to such surveillance, Ynet reported.

According to CBS New York, the petition explained that the ankle bracelet was a health problem because Pollard’s diabetes causes chronic swelling in his legs and ankles. They also said such monitoring serves no purpose since Pollard no longer has access to classified information.

Following his release from federal prison in North Carolina, Pollard traveled to New York City, where he checked in with his parole officer. At 9:09 a.m., a  Twitter user posted a photo of the ex-spy with his wife and another man (whom Tablet Magazine speculated was National Council of Young Israel’s former executive, Rabbi Pesach Lerner) at the corner of Houston Street and Second Avenue, on the Lower East Side.

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