A U.S. government parole board has turned down former Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard’s request for release after 30 years in prison, according to the Campaign for the Release of Jonathan Pollard.
The 60-year-old dual Israeli-U.S. citizen was sentenced to life in prison on a single count of passing classified information to an ally – Israel – in his position as an analyst in the U.S. Navy.
His sentence expires in 2030.
Since Pollard first became eligible for parole numerous public figures in the U.S. and Israel have appealed to the American government and successive administrations to free him, but all have failed.
A statement Wednesday by activists on behalf of Pollard quoted U.S. officials as saying releasing Pollard would “constitute contempt for the severity of the offense and promote a lack of respect for the law.”
Another review of his case is expected in February 2015, with a parole hearing to be set five months later, media reported. But a commission member told journalists the government would oppose Pollard’s release “Absolutely, vigorously.”
If the trend continues unabated, Pollard is likely to remain in prison until his sentence expires, when he is age 75.