JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Iranian-Belgian national was convicted of spying for Iran in an Israeli court.
Ali Mansouri, 56, a native of Iran, was convicted of espionage and aiding an enemy in wartime in Central District Court in Lod on Tuesday. He was sentenced to seven years in prison as part of a plea bargain agreement.
The court determined that the information Mansouri passed Tehran was of “limited value,” Reuters reported.
Mansouri was arrested on Sept. 11, 2013 at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. He was carrying photographs of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and other sensitive sites in Israel.
Iran reportedly Mansouri the previous year. He acquired Belgian citizenship by marrying a Belgian woman in 2005, divorcing her a year later and changing his name.
Traveling in Israel as Belgian businessman Alex Mans, Mansouri is believed to have been spying on Israel for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. He reportedly told Israeli investigators that he was promised about $1 million for his services.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
