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Report: Iran tries spy for Israel

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-29 10:30

TEHRAN - The trial session of a spy for Israel was held in an Islamic Revolution court in Tehran on Saturday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

File photo shows a staff member standing before the reactor of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Israel has one year to destroy Iran's nuclear programme or it faces the risk of coming under nuclear attack, the former head of its foreign intelligence agency said in an interview published Sunday. [Agencies]

The unidentified young man is accused of spying for the intelligent service of Israel, Mousad, the report said.

He defended himself in the court against the accusations, the report said, adding the attorney of the young man presented the court with the defense letter.

The accused man is claimed to have received money from the Israeli intelligent service in return for spying.

Iranians convicted of spying usually receive long prison terms, but execution is also possible.

In early 1999, 13 Iranian Jews were imprisoned by Iranian authorities for suspicion of spying for the "Zionist regime" and "world arrogance." Ten of them were convicted by the Revolutionary Court and received terms ranging from 4 to 10 years, but they were eventually released in 2002 under international pressure.

Iran has often accused the United States, Israel and Britain of supporting espionage activities in Iran to destabilize the Islamic republic.