UK trial of three Iranians over alleged plot to target Iran dissident journalists

Three Iranian men stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court on allegations of planning to physically harm and intimidate Iranian dissident journalists in the UK. Prosecutors claim the trio, identified as Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, were conducting surveillance on journalists at the London-based Persian news channel Iran International, which has been a frequent target of Iranian government hostility.

According to prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, the men allegedly targeted journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, both employed by Iran International, as well as Jonathan Turner, a founder of U.K. Lawyers for Israel. The prosecution alleges the men took photographs and video footage of the journalists' addresses as part of an attempt to commit violent acts against them.

The trial comes amid heightened tensions between the UK and Iran, with Iran reportedly retaliating against its critics both domestically and abroad. Prosecutors noted that former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini once ordered the death of British author Salman Rushdie for his novel "The Satanic Verses" in 1989, and recently, the author was stabbed in New York.

The three defendants deny the charges brought against them under Britain's National Security Act, which was enacted to empower authorities to counter threats from foreign states. The ultimate goal, according to prosecutors, was to subject the journalists to serious violence in retaliation for their criticism of the Iranian government and to create fear among others who oppose Tehran's policies.

While the defendants admit to visiting the journalists' residences and taking images, they dispute the purpose of their actions. Javadi-Manesh and Noori claim they were unaware their behavior would aid Iranian intelligence, while Sepahvand maintains he was coerced or threatened into compliance.