Azerbaijan sentences Iranian citizen to 12 years in jail for espionage
- 30 March, 09:10
The Court of Serious Crimes in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku sentenced an Iranian citizen to 12 years in a high-security penal colony for espionage.
Gaedi Mohammad stood accused of gathering classified information with the intent to undermine Azerbaijan's security. He was apprehended by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan (SSS) in March last year.
According to the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry’s statement released on March 14, Gaedi Mohammad Gaedi orchestrated the collection and transmission of classified information detrimental to Azerbaijan's security on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.
“This included obtaining personal data about Azerbaijani law enforcement personnel and establishing personal connections with them and their foreign counterparts. It was revealed that the country's intelligence agency was engaged in covert collaboration,” the ministry’s statement reads.
He faced charges under Article 276 of Azerbaijan’s criminal code.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan has repeatedly detained Iranian citizens as well as Azerbaijani citizens under suspicions of spying for Iran
In February last year, Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry detained around 40 people it suspects of being part of an Iranian spy network that used religion to push pro-Iranian propaganda.
