Jonathan and Esther Pollard. Photo: Justice for Jonathan Pollard.

JNS.org – Former American-Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard is preparing to petition the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York against the restrictions of his parole, and is scheduled to return to court May 17 for a hearing on the issue.

After serving a 30-year sentence on charges of espionage, the former US avy analyst was released from prison in November 2015 and has since been barred, under his parole conditions, from leaving his New York home between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Pollard’s parole conditions also forbid him from freely using the internet and speaking with the media. He is obliged to wear a GPS monitoring apparatus at all times and cannot leave the US.

Pollard’s lawyer Eliot Lauer said the conditions of his client’s parole are harsh, politically motivated and arbitrarily imposed, arguing they prevent Pollard from working and rehabilitating properly.

“I believe our appeal has substantial merit. I am always hopeful of good results,” Lauer told The Jerusalem Post.

“If indeed there has been a sea change toward Israel and the American Jewish community with the advent of the Trump administration, then it will be reflected in the ability of the 2nd Circuit to respond freely and honestly to the facts and the circumstances of the case,” Lauer added. “With a new administration in place, a change for the better is possible.”