Jerusalem-area brothers charged with spying for Iran

The suspects, who live in separate cities near Jerusalem, were arrested last month.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Two brothers in their 20s from the Jerusalem area were charged Monday with spying for Iran in exchange for payment.

According to the indictment filed in the Jerusalem District Court, one brother, with the assistance of the other, maintained contact with Iranian intelligence officials over several months, passing on sensitive security information while fully aware they were acting under foreign direction.

Prosecutors said the pair carried out multiple “security missions” on Iran’s behalf.

The charges include contact with a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy, and jointly transmitting intelligence that could benefit a hostile entity.

“This case joins a series of recent cases that demonstrate repeated efforts by hostile terrorist elements to recruit Israeli citizens to carry out missions intended to harm the security of the State of Israel and its citizens,” the State Attorney’s Office said.

The suspects, who live in separate cities near Jerusalem, were arrested last month.

Prosecutors asked the Jerusalem District Court to detain the men until the conclusion of legal proceedings.

On Thursday, the same court sentenced a resident of Beit Shemesh to three years in prison after finding him guilty of spying for Iran.

Elimelech Stern, a 22-year-old former yeshiva student, was sentenced to three years in a ruling viewed as a benchmark for sentencing in future espionage cases.

Stern is the first person convicted of spying for Iran in Israel since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, to be sentenced without a plea agreement. More than 35 additional cases, involving 57 defendants accused of acting on behalf of Iran, are currently pending in Israeli courts.

Guided by an Iranian agent known as “Anna Elena,” who communicated with him through Telegram, Stern carried out a series of tasks inside Israel in exchange for payment in cryptocurrency.