Britainupdated 27m ago2 min read
UK Court Convicts Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh of Spying for Iran
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Two Iranian men, Mostafa Sepahvand and Farhad Javadi Manesh, convicted spying for Iran IRGC. Carried out surveillance on journalists and a lawyer in London, including Iran International staff.
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Court Convicts Two Iranians
Woolwich Crown Court in south London convicted Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, of spying for Iran’s intelligence service after a six-week trial. Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counterterrorism division, said, "This was a calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime." The court convicted the pair of engaging in conduct likely to assist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was acquitted on all charges.
The Metropolitan Police said the targets included journalists for Iran International, Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, and a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel, Jonathan Turner. The sentencing is set for London’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, on December 17.
Surveillance, AI Research
The prosecution said Sepahvand and Manesh carried out surveillance and reconnaissance on targets between August 2024 and March last year, including visiting addresses linked to the targets and taking photos and videos. The BBC said police seized 534GB of data showing Sepahvand and Manesh were given documents with "pictures of targets, their work addresses" and that they used ChatGPT to carry out further research. Al Jazeera said the London Metropolitan Police described the case as the fourth involving direct threats to Iranian journalists in the UK and said it was "working hard to keep them safe".
Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner at the Met, said, "The threat from hostile states to the UK is increasing and Iran continues to adapt its approach to using 'proxies'." The BBC added that Sepahvand was convicted of intending a "violent attack" against at least one target, while Manesh helped with planning and Noori was cleared.
Prosecutors Cite Rewards, Threats
Prosecutors told the court that Sepahvand and Manesh were promised rewards to send intelligence back to Iran, and Sepahvand was described as willing to go beyond surveillance. Frank Ferguson said, "Sepahvand and Manesh were promised rewards to send intelligence back to contacts in Iran," and he added that Sepahvand was willing to go beyond surveillance to commit serious violence. The BBC reported that Sepahvand asked for £150,000 in exchange for "finishing off" a target, and it said the trial evidence included voice notes and a claim that his motivation involved a theft case in Iran.
The BBC also said Vicki Evans described the case as the first time "ChatGPT case search history" had been presented in a state threat case. The Metropolitan Police said the arrests prevented serious violence from being inflicted on one or more individuals in the UK, and the sentencing at the Old Bailey is scheduled for 17 December.