Iran’s judiciary has sentenced three people - two women and a man - to lengthy prison terms on security and spying charges, including on behalf of Israel's Mossad spy agency.
British-Iranian dual national Anousheh Ashouri was sentenced to 10 years jail on spying charges, Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday.
"British-Iranian Anousheh Ashouri has been sentenced to 10 years jail for spying for Israel’s Mossad ... also two years for acquiring illegitimate wealth," judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili was quoted as saying. He did not give further details.
Esmaili also said that a prison term was given for an Iranian woman Aras Amiri for spying for Britain” had been upheld by a Supreme Court. Amiri, who worked for the British Council cultural agency and lived in London, was arrested while on a visit to Tehran in March 2018.
She was sentenced to 12 years for ties to Mossad, as was Ali Johari.
Johari allegedly passed on information about construction projects by a Revolutionary Guard-affiliated construction conglomerate, Khatam al-Anbia.
The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last year there had been “infiltration” of Western agents into the country.
Iran said in July that it had captured 17 spies working for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and some had been sentenced to death. It was unclear whether Tuesday’s announcement was linked to the same case.
Several dual nationals, including people with French, British and US passports, have been arrested in Iran over security-related issues, according to Iranian Judiciary officials. Iran refuses to recognize dual nationality.
