Spy Jonathan Pollard freed after 30 years behind bars

Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard has been released from prison, ending an extraordinary espionage case that complicated American-Israeli relations for 30 years and became a periodic bargaining chip between two allies.

“The people of Israel welcome the release of Jonathan Pollard,” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “As someone who raised Jonathan’s case for years with successive American presidents, I had long hoped this day would come,” he said.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons also confirmed that Pollard was no longer in custody but provided no other details.