Man Sentenced to 13.5 Years for Spying for Iran

The Central District Court in Lod has sentenced Alexander Granovsky of Petah Tikva to 13.5 years in prison for carrying out missions for an Iranian agent. Granovsky pleaded guilty to charges including contact with a foreign agent, providing information to an enemy, and multiple counts of property damage and arson.

As part of a plea agreement, Granovsky was also given a suspended sentence. The prosecution stated that this is the most severe sentence yet handed down in a series of indictments against individuals who contacted Iranian agents via social media and acted on their behalf. Granovsky's actions included documenting power stations and the neighborhood of MK Benny Gantz, setting fire to nine vehicles, and spraying graffiti, all under the agent's direction.

According to the indictment, Granovsky maintained contact with the Iranian agent via Telegram while Israel was engaged in conflict on multiple fronts, including with Iran. He received thousands of dollars via a digital wallet for his services and even proactively offered missions, urging the agent to provide more significant tasks. He was also instructed to destroy IDF uniforms and acted as an intermediary to find individuals with criminal records for violent acts.

The prosecution emphasized the severity of cooperating with agents aiming to harm Israel and its citizens, noting that the agreed-upon sentence reflects the gravity of the offenses and serves as a deterrent. The court added that anyone tempted to act for an enemy for financial gain should expect a very long and heavy prison sentence.