A Man Residing in Mashhad Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Espionage

A judicial official of the Islamic Republic of Iran has stated that a 62-year-old man in Mashhad has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage on behalf of an Arab country. Hassan Heydari, the head of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Mashhad, did not disclose the name of the individual but mentioned that the charge against him is 'acting against internal security through espionage for a hostile country.' On Tuesday, February 14, he provided further details, adding that this defendant had been under surveillance by the Intelligence Department of Khorasan Razavi for a long time 'in a discreet manner' and was 'arrested five months ago.' According to Mr. Heydari, the accused has 'a history of espionage for another country' and had been recruited by a foreign intelligence service under the pretext of obtaining a pilgrimage visa. This judicial official did not specify the name of the 'foreign intelligence service,' but it is likely a reference to Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, with whom relations have been tense in recent years. The head of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Mashhad claimed that 'this intelligence service provided the necessary frameworks for this individual to gather information, and the accused was collecting them.' The Islamic Republic of Iran periodically announces the arrest of spies in the country but does not release any information about their fate afterward. In September of this year, media close to the Revolutionary Guards reported, citing the deputy representative of the Supreme Leader in this force, the arrest of a member close to the Iranian nuclear negotiation team on charges of 'espionage for the enemy.' Subsequent reports identified this individual as 'Abdolrasool Dari Esfahani,' but the Iranian Foreign Ministry denied the published reports in this regard. On August 8 of this year, the spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary confirmed that Shahram Amiri was executed due to 'connections to the U.S. and transferring vital information to the enemy.' Previously, media and officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran referred to Mr. Amiri as a 'nuclear scientist,' 'nuclear expert,' and 'researcher.' In this context, the deputy of Rouhani reported the execution of 'an infiltrator' last year. The mother of Shahram Amiri stated that he likely confessed to uncommitted acts under duress. There was a denial of the arrest of 'one of the staff members of the JCPOA headquarters on charges of espionage,' and an implicit confirmation of the arrest of 'a close individual' to the Iranian nuclear negotiation team.