Three Iranians on Trial Over a Plot Against London Journalists
Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, went on trial at Woolwich Crown Court accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act. The prosecution says at least two journalists at the Persian-language channel Iran International were under surveillance and that one was to be subjected to serious violence.
Bill Emlyn Jones KC, prosecuting, told the court the aim was retribution and deterrence — “to try to silence and deter others who might dare to voice their criticism” — and that “the defendants were engaged in what is very obviously a form of spying”. Sepahvand is alleged to have been the one who would carry out the attack, with the other two conducting surveillance and reconnaissance; images of the journalist Mojtaba Pourmohsen, his workplace and a hotel where he had lived were said to have been found in a briefing document on his phone. The men are also alleged to have held a briefing sheet on the barrister Jonathan Turner. Sepahvand does not deny involvement but says he acted out of fear, which the prosecution calls “an entirely bogus claim”, arguing he did it for money and to have an Iranian theft conviction fixed; the other two are expected to say they did not know who they were working for. Tehran has designated Iran International, which is headquartered in London, a terrorist organisation. Coming on the same day as a seventh Fairford arrest, it is the second Iran-linked security case to move through the British system in twelve hours. Watch whether the Crown names a tasking agency.