ABC News reports: Israel has denied that a man identified by the ABC as an Australian-Israeli Mossad agent who committed suicide in jail had any contact with Australia’s security services, as a court backed its government’s claims that he hanged himself.

The man, identified by the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent as Australian citizen Ben Zygier, died in top-secret conditions in Ayalon prison, near Tel Aviv, in December 2010.

Sources told the ABC that Zygier was arrested by his own spymasters after they believed he told the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) about every aspect of his work with the Israelis.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which oversees Israel’s intelligence services, denies this.

“Following recent publications, the prime minister’s office stresses that the late Mr Zygier had no contact with the Australian security services and organisations,” the office said, in Israel’s first mention of Zygier by name. [Continue reading…]