London court finds two Iranian men guilty of spying for Tehran
Summary
Two Iranian men were found guilty in London of spying for Tehran and targeting journalists working for the Persian-language broadcaster Iran International. A third defendant was acquitted after prosecutors said the pair had gathered intelligence on critics of the Iranian regime and prepared for possible attacks.
Key Points
- A London court found Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service on behalf of Iran.
- A third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, was acquitted of all charges.
- Prosecutors said the defendants targeted Iran International journalists and used surveillance, photos, videos and online research to gather intelligence.
- The Crown Prosecution Service said the operation was aimed at critics of the Iranian regime and was stopped before any attack could happen.
