World

British-Iranian man convicted of ‘spying for Mossad’ is jailed for 12 years

Anousheh Ashouri was accused of feeding information to Israel's intelligence agency

August 27, 2019 12:46
The sentence was announced on state television on Tuesday
1 min read

A British-Iranian man has been jailed for 12 years in Iran after authorities said he had been spying for Israel.

Anousheh Ashouri, who is a dual national, was accused of working for the Israeli intelligence organisation Mossad and “acquiring illegitimate wealth”, Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili was quoted by Iranian state TV as saying on Tuesday.

His sentence includes 10 years for feeding information to Mossad and two years for receiving €33,000 (£30,000) in illicit funds from the country.

The Guardian reported Mr Ashouri was ordered to pay the same amount in fines.

Britain's Foreign Office said it was supporting his family, adding: “our Embassy in Tehran continues to request consular access.

“The treatment of all dual nationals detained in Iran is a priority and we raise their cases at the most senior levels.

“We urge Iran to let them be reunited with their families.”