Iran tries 2 people charged with spying for Israel

Tehran court begins proceedings against two alleged Iranian Mossad agents. Men said to have confessed

News agencies |Published: 09.13.11 , 09:50

Iran's Chief Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi confirmed Tuesday that the trial of two men suspected of spying for Israel is underway.

Dowlatabadi said that the legal proceedings against the two, who were detained in 2009, began on Saturday.

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He added that both suspect confessed to the charges, but provided no other details and did not identify the suspects. A second session in the case will be held later this week.

Iran occasionally announces the detention of people accused of working for foreign intelligence services, especially those of Israel and the United States, which it professes to be its archenemies.

The report was echoed by the state-run Fars agency, which reported that the two were alleged Mossad spies.

"The charges against these two people are spying for the Zionist regime, filming sensitive military sites, travelling to areas which are considered to be a crime under the law, and acquiring illicit money from the Israeli spy agency," Dolatabadi told the Iranian news agency.

On August 28, a Tehran court sentenced to death another alleged Israeli spy, who the prosecution claimed "played a key role in the 2010 assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist."

Majid Jamali Fashi reportedly pled guilty to the assassination of nuclear scientist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, in January 2010.

AP contributed to this report