Israeli journalist convicted of leaking documents to be released soon

The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) announced Thursday that Israeli journalist Anat Kamm, a former soldier convicted of leaking classified documents during her army service, will be released in 10 days. Kamm was scheduled to be released in May 2015. However, the IPS parole board accepted her request to shorten her three and a half year term, which had already been cut by 14 months from her origional sentence. The IPS added that the decision was made due to Kamm's good behavior in serving her prison term. She was convicted in February 2011 for leaking 1,800 classified military documents to Ha'aretz journalist Uri Blau, which exposed how the military continued its targeted killing policy towards Palestinian militants despite a Supreme Court ruling that deemed it illegal. She was originally charged with espionage and was questioned by the Israeli Security Agency. However, the conviction was reduced under a plea bargain. She was charged with leaking secret information instead of espionage and "attempts to damage national security." The affair has drawn a lot of local and international attention, specifically regarding journalist ethics. The state then demanded identification of sources in news reporting.