Rudd expresses concerns about Zygier

6 Mar 2013, 7:53 pm   -   Source: AAP
Former PM Kevin Rudd (Pic) says he has no recollection of being told about the Ben Zygier case. (AAP)

Former PM Kevin Rudd (Pic) says he has no recollection of being told about the Ben Zygier case. (AAP)

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says he has no recollection of being told about the Ben Zygier case and is concerned about how it was handled.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has expressed serious concerns about Australia's handling of the murky case of Melbourne man and suspected Israeli spy Ben Zygier.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr on Wednesday released a review which identified a number of failings in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) handling of the case.

Senator Carr ordered the review last month, shortly after Mr Zygier was named as Israel's mysterious "Prisoner X".

A dual citizen of Australia and Israel, My Zygier was detained for alleged Israeli national security offences in January 2010 and died in a supposedly suicide-proof cell 11 months later.

It's believed he worked for Israeli spy agency Mossad.

Mr Rudd told AAP on Wednesday through a spokesman he had no recollection of ever being briefed on the case by DFAT or anyone else.

Mr Rudd was prime minister when Mr Zygier was arrested and foreign minister when he died.

He says he was not even told prior to, or during, a visit to Israel from December 12 to 14, 2010, when he had meetings with the Israeli prime minister and foreign minister.

"Mr Rudd's general practice as foreign minister was to raise consular cases of concern to DFAT in meetings with relevant ministers of foreign governments," his spokesman told AAP in a statement.

"That our ambassador to Israel was not made aware of this case until after Mr Zygier's death is of concern.

"That the then foreign minister (Stephen) Smith was not briefed on this as a consular matter is also of concern."

Mr Smith, now the defence minister, also says he has no recollection of being briefed on the matter by DFAT, ASIO or any of his staff.

Mr Zygier - also known as Ben Alon and Ben Allen - trained as a lawyer in Melbourne but moved to Israel in 2000.

Seven days after he was found hanged in his cell at age 34, his body was flown back to Melbourne, where he is buried in a Jewish cemetery.

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