Former Israeli Minister Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Spying for Iran

A court in Israel on Wednesday, January 8, sentenced Dr. Gonen Segev, a former Israeli minister in the 1990s and a pediatric surgery specialist, on charges of 'espionage' for Iran. The prosecutor announced that following this conviction, he would present a request for an 11-year prison sentence at the next Jerusalem court session on February 11. Meanwhile, two of Mr. Segev's lawyers will exercise their right to appeal this ruling. Israeli media reported that the court based its ruling on the charges of 'serious espionage' and 'transferring information to Iran,' while the more severe charge of 'treason' was removed in an agreement between his lawyers and the prosecution. Israel and Iran have been fierce enemies for years, but until now, no one in Israel has been convicted of 'treason' in favor of Iran. Mr. Segev's lawyers had worked hard to remove this severe charge from the indictment. The court stated that Dr. Segev, a former energy minister, transferred information regarding resources in this sector and Israel's infrastructure, as well as information about Israel's security agents to Iranian intelligence operatives. Meanwhile, according to the Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli security agency had assessed that the former minister's knowledge was outdated due to the passage of more than 20 years since his term, but he 'had attempted to gather information through contacts he had with Israelis.' The court ruling also referenced two trips Dr. Segev made to Iran, during which he 'was aware' that he was in contact with Iranian intelligence operatives, as well as his meetings with these operatives in various locations around the world, including hotels and homes used by Iranian intelligence. The ruling, based on a 'corrected' indictment from the Jerusalem prosecution, also emphasizes that Dr. Segev first came into contact with Iranians while running a medical clinic in Nigeria, providing medical services to individuals linked to the Iranian embassy in that country. Gonen Segev was denied entry by an unnamed African country while traveling from Nigeria, where he lived and worked, to another African country in the spring of this year, and Israel requested his extradition. News of his arrest and transfer to Israel was reported weeks later when he was brought to the Jerusalem court accompanied by security agents early in the summer. Israelis, whose country, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is 'the only country at war with Iran,' were shocked by media reports of 'treason' by Dr. Segev. Meanwhile, Moshe Mazor, one of Gonen Segev's two lawyers, stated that much of the media coverage is outside the actual dimensions of the case. According to Haaretz, Mr. Mazor also said on Wednesday after his client's conviction was confirmed, 'This matter should have been presented with other dimensions, and the agreement with the prosecution and the corrected indictment returned the true dimensions of the case; the corrected indictment shows both the charge and the facts in different dimensions.' According to this lawyer, 'The prosecution itself wishes to make other parts of the information related to the case public, and at that time, it will become clear that Segev's contact with Iranians was not to assist the enemy, and for this reason, the charge of treason was removed from the indictment before it was officially presented to the court.' According to Haaretz, Ms. Geula Cohen, a Jerusalem district attorney, stated after Mr. Segev's ruling: 'His errors are clear to everyone; he is an elderly man who now must serve 11 years in prison.' Gonen Segev is currently 63 years old. According to the Khadashot network, Mr. Segev claimed during interrogation that he intended to act in favor of Israel and that as soon as he came into contact with Iranian operatives, he shared it with a senior Israeli security official and was 'waiting for instructions from Israeli security agencies.'