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UK court convicts two Iranian men of spying on journalists for Tehran

One man was also convicted of preparing serious violence and a third defendant was cleared, with sentencing set for December 17.

10 news outlets reported this
Liberal4 outletsVerdicts and what prosecutors say was plannedCenter2 outletsProsecutors' case and Iran's wider hostile activityConservative4 outletsBorder security and a wider Iranian threat
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

A jury at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Thursday, Nov. 12, found two Iranian men, Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service, Iran's. They watched journalists from Iran International, a London-based Persian-language broadcaster, and Jonathan Turner, a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel. The targets included reporters Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini.

Sepahvand was also convicted of preparatory conduct aimed at violence, and Manesh was cleared of that charge. A third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was acquitted of all charges. Prosecutor Frank Ferguson called it a "calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime" and said the men were stopped before any attack.

The court heard Sepahvand hoped to be paid £150,000 to "finish off" a target. Sepahvand said he acted out of fear, and Manesh said he did not know he was helping Iranian intelligence. Iran has denied the allegations.

Sentencing is set for December 17 at the Old Bailey in London. Police say hostile state activity in the UK is increasing.

Key figures
  • £150,000payment Sepahvand hoped for to carry out a violent attack, the court heardThe Guardian
  • December 17sentencing date at the Old BaileyAl Jazeera English
  • up to 14 yearsmaximum prison term for supporting the outlawed IRGCAl Jazeera English
  • 534 gigabytesdata police recovered, per the BBC as cited by UPIUPI

Three sides of the story

4Liberal2Center4Conservative

10 news outlets reported this

Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.

Liberal4 outlets

Verdicts and what prosecutors say was planned

Al Jazeera English leads with the guilty verdicts and quotes prosecutor Frank Ferguson calling it "a calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime." It adds that police see a rising threat from hostile states and Iran adapting its use of "proxies," quoting Met deputy assistant commissioner Vicki Evans. Another Al Jazeera English piece reports the men's convictions under Britain's National Security Act for spying on journalists who dissent.

ABC News gives a short report built on Ferguson, including that the defendants were "stopped before any attack could take place." The Guardian goes deepest into the trial: WhatsApp messages between Sepahvand and an IRGC handler named Amin, a voice note in which he said "I'll finish him off," and Hosseini's threats and forced move. It also records the defendants' denials, with Sepahvand saying his family was threatened and Manesh calling the site "a beautiful building."

It places the case among other plots using hired proxies, such as a planned hit in Huddersfield and arson attacks on property connected to Keir Starmer.

Center2 outlets

Prosecutors' case and Iran's wider hostile activity

UPI leads with the convictions and relies on prosecutors and the BBC: 534 gigabytes of data on targets' vehicles, workplaces and pets, and a message in which Sepahvand asked for about $197,000 to "finish [the target] off." It notes he said he acted from fear and prosecutors rejected that. Deutsche Welle uses a question-and-answer format and places the verdicts within rising Iranian activity in the UK.

It cites police on intensifying Iranian activity, mentions the RAF Fairford scare, MI5 chief Ken MacCullum on more than 50 Iran-linked arrests in a year, and a statement from Iran International's parent company, Volant Media, that the verdicts "don't make the lives of our journalists any safer." It also reports that Iran has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Conservative4 outlets

Border security and a wider Iranian threat

Breitbart News headlines the case "National Security Threat" and calls the men "so-called asylum seekers," saying one arrived in a lorry and the other on a small boat. It quotes Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader: "The crisis in the channel is a national security threat. Why does no one listen?"

It also recounts the hearing, including Sepahvand's "finishing off" remark and his claim that he would not harm "an animal, let alone a human." Fox News places the verdicts within a wider frame of Iranian operations in Europe. It cites a US Justice Department indictment, a French cyberattack accusation, a UAE official's warning of sleeper cells and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks after the G7 meeting.

It adds that no evidence has been presented tying these to one coordinated operation. The Washington Times reports under the headline "London court finds 2 Iranian men guilty of spying for Iran" that the men were convicted Thursday of spying on journalists at a Persian-language broadcaster in London.

All sources: 12 articles from 10 outlets

Liberal (5)

Center (2)

Conservative (5)

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