November 17, 2009 - The Daily Star - Missing Iranian general jailed in Israel

TEHRAN: An Iranian general who disappeared in Turkey two years ago amid media claims of defection is being held inside a jail in Israel, several newspapers reported on Monday citing a conservative website. Ali Reza Asgari, a deputy defense minister under the previous government of reformist President Mohammad Khatami, disappeared after checking into a hotel in Turkey in February 2007.

“Two years of investigations by relevant institutions show that Ali Reza Asgari is kept in Zionist regime’s prison,” Alef website said, without naming any sources.

“Asgari was kidnapped by Mossad, German and British intelligence agencies and taken to Israel,” the report said, renewing Iranian accusations that the former general was abducted by Western spies.

Asgari, a retired general who was a Revolutionary Guards commander, went missing while on a private visit to Istanbul amid media claims that he had voluntarily defected. The Israeli government denied any connection to Asgari’s disappearance at the time.

The Washington Post reported in March 2007 that Asgari had left Iran and was voluntarily cooperating with Western intelligence agencies with information on the Lebanese Shiite militia Hizbullah and Iran’s links to the group. – AFP