IRAN: British Council worker jailed for spying for UK

An Iranian woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran for spying for the UK, officials say. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said the woman had been “in charge of the Iran desk” of the British Council, a cultural organisation. She confessed to “co-operating” with British intelligence, he alleged. Mr Esmaili did not […]

An Iranian woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran for spying for the UK, officials say.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said the woman had been “in charge of the Iran desk” of the British Council, a cultural organisation.

She confessed to “co-operating” with British intelligence, he alleged.

Mr Esmaili did not identify the woman. But a London-based British Council employee and art student, Aras Amiri, was detained in Iran in March 2018.

Ms Amiri’s cousin said last May that she had been accused of “acting against national security” – a charge that has been laid by Iranian authorities against a range of activists, journalists and a number of dual citizens and foreign nationals detained in recent years.