Spy for Iran convicted in Israel
Published April 22, 2015
JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Iranian-Belgian national was convicted of spying for Iran in an Israeli court.
Ali Mansouri, 56, who was born in 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. He was carrying photographs of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and other sensitive sites in Israel at the time.
He reportedly was recruited by Iran 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.