Accused spy for Israel gets death
A court sentenced an Iranian businessman to death on charges of being an Israeli spy who targeted the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear program and its military, the semiofficial Fars News Agency said.
Fars identified Ali Ashtari as the manager of a company selling communications and security equipment to Iran’s government and said he had been accused of “engaging in espionage” for [Israel’s] Mossad intelligence service.
Ashtari, who had been in financial trouble, said he had accepted a loan of $50,000 from Israeli agents, Fars said.
An Israeli official in Jerusalem denied any knowledge of the case.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
