Iran jails British woman for 12 years on spying charges

Anousheh Ashouri joins a British Council worker who has also received a lengthy sentence for allegedly spying on Iran.

By Ajay Nair, news reporter,

Image: The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased recently

Iran has jailed a British woman for 12 years after accusing her of spying for Israel and "acquiring illegitimate wealth".
Anousheh Ashouri, a dual British-Iranian national, was among three people whose sentences were announced on Iranian state television by judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili.
She received 10 years for the spying charge - which authorities said she did on behalf of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency - and a further two years for the second charge of acquiring illicit funds.
Britain said it was supporting Ms Ashouri's family in a statement released shortly after the announcement.
"We have been supporting the family of a British-Iranian dual national... and our embassy in Tehran continues to request consular access," said a Foreign Office spokesman.

Advertisement

"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."
Mr Esmaili also said another woman, British Council worker Aras Amiri, had been in jail for the past year while her case was under investigation after she was accused of spying on cultural activities in Iran for the UK.

Image: Aras Amiri had her 10-year sentence upheld by a supreme court

The Iranian national, who was arrested while visiting Tehran in March last year, had her 10-year sentence upheld by a supreme court, the government spokesman said.
She does not have British citizenship but had lived in London prior to her arrest.
Ali Johari, an Iranian citizen, was also among the names and sentences announced. He was jailed for 12 years for allegedly passing on information to Israel about construction projects by Revolutionary Guard-linked construction firm Khatam al Anbia.
The arrest of Iranians accused of espionage has increased since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khemenei said there was an "infiltration" of agents from the West coming into the country.
In July, Iran said it captured 17 spies working for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and that some had been sentenced to death.

Fears for 'isolated' Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as she is moved to mental health ward

It is unclear whether Tuesday's announcement was linked to this.
Iran's judiciary officials say several dual nationals - including those with French, British and US passports - had been held over security-related issues.
Tehran refuses to recognise dual nationality.
The sentences come after British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in 2016 after visiting family in Tehran and was later sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying.