Three men are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court in London, accused of planning to commit serious violence against UK-based journalists as part of an alleged Iranian spy operation. Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, are charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act.
Key Takeaways
Three men are on trial in London for allegedly planning to commit serious violence against UK-based journalists working for Iran International, a Persian-language broadcaster critical of the Iranian regime. The defendants conducted surveillance and reconnaissance between August 2024 and March last year.
- Three alleged Iranian spies targeted journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini
- Mostafa Sepahvand allegedly planned to carry out violent attacks for money
- Farhad Manesh and Shapoor Noori assisted in surveillance but claim they didn't know it was for the Iranian intelligence services
- The defendants deny all charges under the National Security Act
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▼Source Claims Check
High ConsensusAll 3 publishers report consistent facts across 3 key claims.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Targeted Journalists | Broad Agreement | Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini targeted | |
| Surveillance Period | Broad Agreement | Surveillance conducted between August 2024 and March last year | |
| Payment For Attack | Broad Agreement | $199,000 payment for attack |
Targeted Journalists
Broad AgreementMojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini targeted
Surveillance Period
Broad AgreementSurveillance conducted between August 2024 and March last year
Payment For Attack
Broad Agreement$199,000 payment for attack
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
According to The Guardian, Sepahvand intended to physically carry out a violent attack against at least one of the targets, while Manesh and Noori assisted in planning. The prosecution alleges that the defendants conducted surveillance and reconnaissance on journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, who work for London-based Persian broadcaster Iran International. Sepahvand claims he was threatened into conducting surveillance against his will, but the prosecution described this as an “entirely bogus claim.”
Sepahvand allegedly told an associate in a voice note that he would 'finish off' a target if paid £150,000. The defendants visited addresses linked to their targets, took photos and videos, and used platforms such as ChatGPT to research them online between August 2024 and March last year. Manesh and Noori claim they did not know they were carrying out the surveillance to assist the Iranian intelligence service.
The prosecution described the defendants' actions as 'very obviously a form of spying' for the Iranian intelligence services, according to Sky News. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones suggested that the £150,000 payment would be a powerful incentive for Sepahvand to carry out the attack. The court heard that the ultimate aim was to subject their targets to serious violence as retribution for criticism of the Iranian regime and to deter others from voicing their criticism.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 3 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.