Three alleged Iranian spies conducted surveillance on journalists in the UK as part of a plan to commit "serious violence," a court heard on Tuesday. Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori are facing charges under the National Security Act.

Surveillance Targets

The prosecution revealed that their targets included Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, journalists for the London-based Persian broadcaster Iran International, as well as Jonathan Turner, a founder member of UK Lawyers for Israel. The court was informed that Sepahvand intended to carry out a violent attack against at least one of these targets, while Manesh and Noori assisted in the planning.

Allegations and Claims

Sepahvand claims he was coerced into conducting surveillance against his will. However, the prosecution dismissed this as an "entirely bogus claim," asserting that he undertook the task for payment and to resolve his theft conviction in Iran. In a voice note presented to Woolwich Crown Court in London, Sepahvand stated:

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"They made me a promise and said: ‘We’ll sort out your matter/court case, and we’ll give you £150,000 as well. Finish the job. We’ll show you him/her (the target).’"