Iranian blogger slams 'spy' confessions

In rare show of criticism, blogger accuses regime of employing 'ridiculous' scare tactics; says 'forced confessions point finger at US, Israel but provide no evidence'

Dudi Cohen|Published: 12.19.11 , 19:58

An Iranian blogger on Monday slammed the Iranian intelligence agency for using outdated scare tactics by coercing alleged spies to confess on national TV, without providing any evidence that ties them to the act.

The criticism comes a day after Iranian national TV aired a "confession" of an Iranian-American citizen, who admitted to being recruited by the CIA, and worked with the British and Israeli secret service to gather intelligence about Iran.

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The TV identified the man, apparently in his late 20s, as Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, an American-Iranian who received special training and served at US military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for his alleged intelligence mission.

According to the blogger, Ali Pur Tabatabei, these confessions "point the finger at America and Israel, but there is no evidence to support this claim."

The Iranian activist, who runs the Ayande-e Roshan ("Clear Future") website, which is affiliated with the conservative camp and is a supporter of the government in Tehran, added that the Intelligence Ministry's poor handling of espionage and assassination cases makes them the subject of ridicule within the Iranian society.

The American "spy" presented on Iranian TV on Sunday was the latest in a series of alleged spies who were forced to give televised confessions. Earlier this year, the Islamic Republic's official news agency aired an interview with a young man who admitted to murdering a nuclear scientist in 2010.

Majid Jamali Fash described at length his visit to Tel Aviv and Herzliya, the training he received at Mossad headquarters and the day of the assassination.

In 2010, Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, who disappeared in Saudi Arabia, claimed he was abducted and tortured by CIA agents, who pressured him to reveal sensitive information about Iran's nuclear program.

However, his peculiar story aroused suspicion in Tehran, and sources claimed he had tried to defect to the United States.