Two Iranian men convicted of spying for Iran in UK

Two Iranian men have been convicted of spying for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after being tasked with monitoring journalists and a lawyer in the United Kingdom. Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday.

The court heard that Sepahvand intended to carry out a violent attack against at least one of the targets, while Manesh provided assistance with the planning. A third man, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was cleared of the same charge.

Surveillance and Planning Details

Police seized 534 gigabytes of data that revealed Sepahvand and Manesh received documents containing pictures of their targets, details of their work addresses, the make and colour of their cars, and even the names of their pets. The pair then used ChatGPT to conduct further research for their surveillance activities.

Sepahvand and Manesh are asylum seekers from west London who had been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK. Sepahvand arrived in the country by lorry, and Manesh by small boat. Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Sepahvand felt mistreated by his Iranian handlers, who had not paid him as promised. Prosecutors dismissed Sepahvand's claim that he participated out of fear of refusing as "entirely bogus".

Voice notes sent by Sepahvand to an Iranian contact detailed promises that a conviction for theft in Iran would be resolved, which prosecutors suggested was a motivating factor for his actions. Sepahvand also requested £150,000 in exchange for "finishing off" a target, stating he would carry out the act.

Official Statements on the Case

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national co-ordinator for Counter-Terrorism Policing, stated that this was the first time ChatGPT search history had been presented as evidence in a state threat case. She noted that the use of AI tools in such activities is becoming more prevalent as the technology becomes more accessible.

Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service's counter-terrorism division, commented that the men had been promised rewards for supplying intelligence to contacts in Iran. He added that Sepahvand was prepared to commit serious violence beyond surveillance, but thankfully the defendants were apprehended before any attack could occur. Ferguson highlighted that such cases demonstrate the willingness of Iranian intelligence to employ proxies to target critics of the regime abroad.

Sentencing

Sepahvand and Manesh are scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 17 December.