Two Iranian men named Mostafa Sepahvand (41 years old) and Farhad Manash (46 years old) were convicted of spying for Iran's intelligence agency by a jury at the Woolwich Crown Court in London. This action reflects Tehran's willingness to use agents to target its critics abroad.
Case Details
The two defendants conducted surveillance and identification of targets from August 2024 to March last year, which included two journalists, a lawyer, and a media production professional. Mostafa Sepahvand was also prepared to carry out physical attacks. However, the two defendants denied the charges and claimed they did not participate in actions that benefited Iran's intelligence agency.
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Conviction and Reactions
The jury ultimately concluded that the defendants visited addresses related to their targets to gather information and took photographs and videos of them. They also used platforms like ChatGPT to research their targets. This case clearly shows how Iran's intelligence agency uses its agents to target critics.
Frank Ferguson from the Special Crime and Terrorism Division stated: "This was a calculated operation to spy on those who criticized the Iranian regime." He also added that Sepahvand and Manash had received promises to send information to their contacts in Iran, and Sepahvand had prepared himself to commit serious violence against their targets.
According to the prosecution, Sepahvand intended to carry out a "violent attack" against at least one of his targets. The individuals under surveillance included two Iranian journalists working for Iran International News Network, which Tehran has labeled a terrorist organization.
One of these targets, Kambiz Hosseini, is a journalist and political satirist who has long been the target of threats and intimidation from Iranian intelligence agencies. Another target is Mojtaba Pourmohsen, a well-known journalist and writer. The third target is Jonathan Turner, one of the founding members of the UK Lawyers for Israel group.
The defendants, who were living in London at the time of their arrest, were charged under national security laws. Sepahvand claimed he was under pressure, but prosecutors described his claim as "false" and portrayed him as a voluntary participant seeking to receive £150,000 ($200,000) and to clear his criminal record of theft in Iran.
In an audio message presented to the jury, Sepahvand stated that if the target was present at the address given to him, he would "finish him off" if money was paid to him. Manash also claimed he was unaware that the surveillance was for the benefit of Iran's intelligence agency.
Ultimately, Manash and Shapur Noori, another defendant, were acquitted of charges related to surveillance and identification with the intent to commit serious violence in the UK.
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