Three Iranian men go on trial in London over alleged spying on journalists

Three Iranian men have gone on trial in London accused of spying for Iran on UK-based journalists, in a case prosecutors say involved plans for serious violence. The trial is taking place at Woolwich Crown Court and centres on surveillance linked to journalists associated with Iran International. All three defendants were born in Iran and were living in London at the time of the alleged offences.

Sponsored

Prosecutors told the jury that Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, was to carry out the attack, while Farhad Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Noori, 57, were responsible for surveillance and reconnaissance. The court heard that at least two journalists linked to Iran International were targeted. One of the journalists named in the proceedings was Mojtaba Pourmohsen, and images of him, his workplace and a hotel where he had lived were said to have been found in a briefing document on Sepahvand's mobile phone.

The defendants face charges under the National Security Act, including assisting a foreign intelligence service. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said the evidence would show the men visited addresses linked to their targets, took photographs, recorded video and carried out online research. He told the court the alleged activity was "very obviously a form of spying".

Sepahvand does not deny involvement, but says he acted out of fear of the consequences of refusing, a claim prosecutors described as false. The case has wider significance because it concerns journalists working for a Persian-language satellite channel that is critical of the Tehran government and broadcasts into Iran. Prosecutors said the alleged targeting was intended not only to harm individuals but also to deter others from criticising the Iranian state.

Sponsored

Iran International has been declared a terrorist organisation by Tehran, underlining the political sensitivity of the case and the risks faced by media workers covering Iran from abroad. The trial also points to the continuing use of surveillance and intimidation in disputes involving Iranian dissidents and critics overseas. The prosecution said the men were in contact with two men with Iranian telephone numbers, and that one of the alleged targets was to be subjected to serious violence as retribution.

The court also heard that the defendants had a briefing sheet on barrister Jonathan Turner, who was a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel, suggesting the surveillance may have extended beyond journalists alone. What remains unclear is how the jury will assess the competing accounts of the defendants' motives and knowledge. Manesh and Noori are expected to say they did not know they were carrying out surveillance on behalf of Iran.

The trial is expected to test the prosecution's claim that the operation was organised spying rather than ordinary criminal conduct, and to clarify the extent of any wider network behind the alleged surveillance.

#London #WoolwichCrownCourt #IranInternational #NationalSecurityAct #espionagetrial

Sponsored