Prisoner X found hanged in shower of cell

July 30, 2016

By Jill Langlois

Ben Zygier, known as Prisoner X, was found hanging by the neck in the shower of his cell.

According to The New York Times, Zygier was found hanging in his cell's shower on Dec. 15, 2010 at 8:19 p.m. He had made a noose out of a wet bedsheet, rolled and tied to the window's bars. His death was caused by asphyxiation and he also had a sedative in his stomach and a wound on his left hand, neither of which contributed to his demise.

An Israeli court provided the details of Zygier's death after approving a request to loosen a gag order on the publication of details from an inquest, which was completed just six weeks ago, reported Australia's ABC News. All the evidence "ruled out the involvement of another person in (his) death," it said.

The judge in charge of the investigation said that Zygier's death was a suicide and not "caused by a criminal act," according to the report. It also said gaps in prison procedures made "a suicidal window of opportunity."

According to CNN, Zygier, 34, a dual Australian-Israeli citizen, had reported "every aspect of his work" for the Israeli Mossad spy agency, to the Australian Security Intelligence Organization.