Eight Mossad spies to stand trial in Egypt

Five Israelis and three Egyptian nationals are to stand trial in absentia on charges of spying for Israeli’s Mossad secret service, Egypt judicial sources say.

The sources said on Sunday that Egyptian prosecutors have accused the eight of espionage and providing Israel with information that could affect the country’s national security.

The trial is scheduled for February 5, with none of the defendants present, the sources added, citing that the Israeli nationals are “on the run.” The sources, however, failed to release further details about the three Egyptians.

According to the sources, the Egyptian suspects come from Rafah in North Sinai, which borders with the Gaza Strip in Palestine.

The trial is set to be held in Egypt’s Suez Canal and northeastern city of Ismailiya.

Over the past few years, several people have been questioned or arrested over espionage charges in Egypt.

In June 2013, Egyptian intelligence forces detained a Jordanian engineer on charges of collaboration with Israel’s Mossad secret service since 2011.

Meanwhile, Egypt dismantled a spy cell in the border city of Rafah, which was working for Mossad, on April 21, 2013.

In October 2011, Israel freed 25 Egyptian nationals in exchange for the release of US- Israeli, identified as Ilan Grapel, who had been kept in custody over espionage charges for four months.