Three Iranian Men Face London Trial Over Alleged Spying on Iran International Journalists

Three Iranian nationals went on trial at Woolwich Crown Court in London this week, accused of conducting a surveillance operation on behalf of Tehran targeting journalists working for a Persian-language broadcaster that is sharply critical of the Iranian government. Prosecutors allege the campaign was intended to pave the way for "serious violence" against at least one of the targets.

The defendants are Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Noori, 57. All three were born in Iran and have been living in the United Kingdom. Each appeared in the dock with an interpreter and denies every charge brought against them.

According to the prosecution's opening statement, Sepahvand was the man earmarked to carry out an actual attack, while Manesh and Noori handled the surveillance and reconnaissance work that preceded it. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC told the jury that the men's activities amounted to "very obviously a form of spying."

The court heard that the targets were journalists associated with Iran International, a satellite channel headquartered in London that broadcasts into Iran and has long been a thorn in the side of the authorities in Tehran. The Iranian government has designated the outlet a "terrorist organisation," a label the broadcaster rejects.

Jones said at least two journalists connected to Iran International were placed under surveillance. At least one of them, he told the jury, was to be subjected to serious violence — described as retribution for their work and an attempt to silence and intimidate others who might consider voicing similar criticism of the regime.

The prosecution outlined a pattern of behaviour it says demonstrates the group's intent: visiting addresses linked to the targets, photographing and filming those locations, and conducting online research into the individuals concerned. Such methods, the court heard, are characteristic of state-linked reconnaissance operations.

One journalist named in court as an alleged target was Mojtaba Pourmohsen. Prosecutors say images of him, his workplace and a hotel where he had previously stayed were discovered in what was described as a "briefing document" stored on Sepahvand's mobile phone. Noori is accused of taking photographs of the block of flats where Pourmohsen lived in Brentford, south-west London, in December 2024. Sepahvand and Manesh are also alleged to have travelled to the same location to capture photos and video.

The jury was told the defendants also held a briefing sheet concerning Jonathan Turner, a barrister who was a founding member of a group called UK Lawyers for Israel. The inclusion of his details suggests the surveillance operation may have extended beyond media figures to other individuals perceived as hostile to Iranian interests.

Sepahvand's defence does not dispute his involvement in the alleged activity, but he claims he took part out of fear of what would happen if he refused. Prosecutors dismissed that explanation as "an entirely bogus claim." Jones told the court that Sepahvand's true motivations were financial and personal: he wanted money, and he wanted a criminal conviction for theft he had received in Iran to be "fixed."

The court heard that Sepahvand was in contact with two men who used Iranian telephone numbers, a detail prosecutors say points to direction from within Iran. Manesh and Noori, by contrast, are expected to argue that they were unaware they were carrying out surveillance on behalf of the Iranian state.

All three men face charges under the National Security Act, including the offence of assisting a foreign intelligence service. The legislation, which came into force in 2023, modernised Britain's espionage laws and created new offences specifically designed to address the threat posed by hostile state actors operating on UK soil.

The case has drawn attention to the wider question of how hostile governments use proxies and émigré communities to reach dissidents living in Britain. Iran International has previously reported threats against its staff, and UK counter-terrorism police have warned that hostile state activity poses a growing risk to journalists, activists and others seen as opponents of foreign regimes.

Details of the defendants' immigration histories were also aired in court. All three were granted temporary leave to remain in the UK after claiming asylum. They arrived in Britain between 2016 and 2022, with Sepahvand entering concealed in a lorry in 2016, while Manesh and Noori both arrived by small boat.

The trial, presided over by a judge at Woolwich Crown Court, is expected to continue for several days, with the jury hearing further evidence about the surveillance operation and the alleged chain of command linking the defendants to Iranian intelligence. The outcome will be closely watched by press freedom organisations, diaspora communities and security officials alike.

Each of the three men continues to deny all charges. The burden now rests with the prosecution to convince the jury beyond reasonable doubt that the surveillance was carried out in the service of a foreign intelligence agency and that the men knew, or should have known, what they were participating in.