A trial has commenced at Woolwich Crown Court for three men accused of acting as Iranian spies, with prosecutors alleging they conducted surveillance on journalists working for a UK-based Persian news channel critical of the Tehran government. The defendants, identified as 41-year-old Mostafa Sepahvand, 46-year-old Farhad Javadi Manesh, and 57-year-old Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, face charges of engaging in conduct likely to assist Iran’s foreign intelligence service between August 2024 and March 2025. All three men have entered pleas of not guilty to the two charges brought against them under Britain's National Security Act, a law enacted to bolster authorities' capacity to address threats from foreign states.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told the court that Iran International, a London-based satellite channel, has been a primary target due to its opposition to the Iranian regime. Emlyn Jones emphasized that those who criticize Iran do so at their peril, drawing parallels to the 1989 death order issued by former leader Ayatollah Khomeini against author Salman Rushdie, as well as the 2022 stabbing of the writer in New York. According to the prosecution, the defendants investigated at least two journalists from Iran International—Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini—as well as Jonathan Turner, a founding member of U.K. Lawyers for Israel. The investigation reportedly involved visiting addresses linked to the targets and capturing photographs and video footage.
The prosecution contends the group's objective was to ensure one or more of these individuals were subjected to serious violence, serving as retaliation for their criticism of the state and as a tactic to intimidate and silence others. While all three defendants acknowledge they visited the locations and took images, they dispute the reasons behind their actions. Reports from the trial indicate that Javadi-Manesh and Nouri have stated they were unaware their activities would assist Iranian intelligence, whereas Sepahvand has admitted awareness of the intent but claims he was forced to act due to coercion or threats. The trial unfolds amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Britain and Iran, with prosecutors asserting that Tehran has consistently targeted opponents both within its borders and abroad.
This new law was passed to give the British authorities additional powers to counter threats posed by foreign states.
