Courts in Iran have given the death sentence to a man who is believed to have been spying for the United States. Two more were given 10 years of jail time for the same crime. One man who is believed to be spying for the United Kingdom has been imprisoned with a six-year sentence according to a spokesman from Iran’s judiciary.
Gholamhossein Esmaili said on Tuesday in a statement to the judiciary’s online news outlet, Mizan, “One person has been sentenced to death for spying for America … but the ruling has been appealed.”
The spokesman also went on to tell Iran’s official television news network:
“A spy working for the Iranian defense ministry was sentenced to death on a charge of spying for the United States.”
The spy sentenced to death had not been identified according to The Guardian. The other two spies for America were identified as Ali Nafriyeh and Mohammad Ali Babapour. Britain’s spy was identified as Mohammad Ali Nasab, as per the news outlet.
Tensions continue to escalate between Iran and the United States. The recent sentencing marked a blow to Europe’s efforts to appease the situation. The United Kingdom claims that numerous Brit-Iranian dual nationality holders handed with sentences equate to a hostage-taking for the state. One such person is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been detained in Iran over spying charges since the year 2016.
The US and Iran reportedly discussed the possibility of a prisoner swap at the United Nations General Assembly held in New York City last week.
Shera Elliott graduated from the New Mexico State University with a major in biology and a minor in Biological Basis of Behavior & Health Care Management. Shera grew up in Los Angeles, but moved to Las Cruces for college. Shera has written for several major publications including the Albuquerque Journal and NPR. Shera is a community reporter and also covers stories important important to all Americans.