Israeli Sentenced to 13.5 Years for Spying for Iran

The Central District Court in Lod has sentenced Alexander Granovsky, a resident of Petah Tikva, to 13.5 years in prison, along with a suspended sentence, for endangering state security. Granovsky was convicted of maintaining contact with an Iranian agent and carrying out security-related tasks for payment, receiving thousands of dollars transferred to a digital wallet.

The sentence was agreed upon by both sides after Granovsky pleaded guilty to all charges, including contact with a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy, multiple counts of arson, and property damage. According to the indictment, filed by attorney Hila Cohen Kadosh of the Central District Prosecutor's Office, Granovsky communicated with the agent via Telegram "at a time when the State of Israel is waging war on multiple fronts, including Iran."

Under the agent's direction, Granovsky documented power station facilities and the neighborhood where MK Benny Gantz resides, transmitting the information to his handler. He also set fire to nine vehicles, spray-painted graffiti, was instructed to destroy IDF uniforms, and acted as an intermediary to find individuals with criminal records for violent acts.

Granovsky "acted while adhering to instructions designed to conceal his identity and prevent his exposure, and was aware that this was a hostile entity. Nevertheless, he initiated and offered missions himself and even urged the agent to assign him additional, more significant tasks."

The prosecution stated that this is the most severe sentence to date for defendants acting for Iranian agents via social media. "We view any cooperation with agents acting on behalf of hostile entities, whose goal is to harm the State of Israel, its citizens, and security forces, with extreme severity. The prosecution insisted on the full conviction of the defendant for all charges, and the precedent-setting sentence reflects the gravity of the acts."

The court noted in its ruling that the heavy sentence, agreed upon by the parties, "reflects, among other things, significant deterrence considerations, so that anyone tempted to act on behalf of a hostile entity for financial gain will know that they face a very long and unbearable prison sentence."