(JTA) — An Iranian court sentenced a man to five years in prison on charges of spying for Israel.
The man, whose name was not released, was arrested last August and charged with giving information to the person responsible for security at the Israeli Embassy in Thailand, Israel’s Army Radio reported based on Iranian media. He allegedly gave his Israeli handler information about the Iranian economy and copper mines in Kerman Province, the Israeli daily Maariv reported last year. Those mines contain the world’s second-largest deposit of copper ore, constituting 5 percent of the world’s total.
According to the indictment, the man contacted the Israeli Embassy with the intention to spy for Israel while on his second visit to Thailand.
Another man was sentenced to 10 years for spying for Britain. He was accused of exchanging information with four British intelligence operatives, according to a report by the Associated Press. The defendants were not named. Both men are believed to be Iranians, AP reported. It was not known if the suspects had defense lawyers.