Iranian duo found guilty of spying on UK journalists

Two men of Iranian origin have been found guilty at the Old Bailey of engaging in conduct likely to assist Tehran's intelligence services. The defendants, Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were recruited through social media as part of a broader plan to eliminate journalists based in the United Kingdom. Their activities involved extensive surveillance and reconnaissance carried out between August 2024 and March of last year.

The targets of this operation included two journalists working for the London-based Persian broadcaster Iran International, Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, as well as Jonathan Turner, a founder member of UK Lawyers for Israel. The court heard that the defendants visited addresses linked to these individuals, captured photographic and video evidence, and utilized online research tools, including the AI platform ChatGPT, to gather intelligence.

Prosecutors described the case as an example of a growing tactic used by hostile states, where proxies are hired to work for foreign security forces. These individuals often have limited knowledge of their targets or the specific motivations behind the mission. Both men entered the UK illegally between 2016 and 2022, with Sepahvand arriving in the back of a lorry and Manesh in a small boat.

Sepahvand specifically used ChatGPT to locate the home address of Mojtaba Pourmohsen. He was promised a payment of £150,000 to carry out a violent attack and help finish off the journalist. During the trial, evidence from WhatsApp chats between Sepahvand and his handler, an IRGC commander known as Amin, was presented. In one exchange from December 2024, Amin sent new pictures of the target, and Sepahvand confirmed he would visit the location the following day.

The surveillance also extended to Iranian satirist Kambiz Hosseini. As a result of the threats he received, the 51-year-old was forced to leave his home and pause his work as a stand-up comedian. He had received a message containing a picture of his car with the warning that it would explode the next time the engine was started. Additionally, Hosseini's family in Iran received threats, compelling them to leave the country.

Bill Emlyn Jones KC, who led the prosecution, stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot tolerate dissent. He noted that Iran International has come under particular attack due to its support for opposition groups and its anti-regime editorial stance. Jones argued that eliminating critical actors overseas is a staple policy for the Iranian government, making the defendants' actions a clear form of spying.

Sepahvand, who had a previous conviction for theft in Iran, was drawn into the plan in the hope of reducing his criminal record. He told his handlers he was prepared to escalate from surveillance to violence, with the £150,000 payment contingent on completing the job. In a voice note played in court, he stated that if the target was inside, they would pay, and he would finish him off. Sepahvand claimed he never intended to proceed with the hit, citing threats against his family, and denied plotting to kill Jonathan Turner.

Manesh maintained that he photographed the Iran International site simply because it was a beautiful building and that he did not know they were working with Iranian intelligence. While Sepahvand was convicted of both assisting a foreign intelligence service and preparatory conduct, Manesh was found guilty of assisting the service but cleared of preparatory conduct. A third defendant, Shapoor Noori, was cleared of both charges.

The case follows a series of similar prosecutions involving foreign intelligence operations in the UK. Last month, Johannes Natland was jailed for life for a hit in Huddersfield linked to a Swedish crime group backed by Iran. Earlier this year, two men were jailed for arson attacks connected to Keir Starmer, and six Britons were imprisoned for a Russian-ordered arson attack on a London warehouse providing aid to Ukraine.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb has remanded Sepahvand and Manesh in custody ahead of their sentencing, which is scheduled to take place at the Old Bailey on 17 December.