Two HIgh Court petitions in Israel over anthrax vaccine tests on soldiers

Group wants end to Israeli anthrax tests

Published: Nov. 1, 2007 at 9:36 AM

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A rights group petitioned Israel's High Court on Thursday to stop the military from performing anthrax vaccine experiments on soldiers.

Physicians for Human Rights filed one petition, while a second was filed by a group of soldiers seeking to be recognized as casualties of the experiments, Ynetnews.com reported.

From 1999 to 2006, some 800 soldiers underwent vaccinations of a vaccine developed in the United States and the rights group claimed in their petition scientific errors were made. They included tracking the soldiers' conditions consistently during and after the experiments, the report said.

The group also alleged the troops were misinformed of potential consequences of the tests and were given no opportunity to consult with non-military specialists for advice.

Attorney Michael Spharad, who filed the petition on behalf of the Physicians for Human Rights said the military had too much medical freedom.

"These days it is more difficult to experiment on animals than on humans," Spharad said.