Israeli Man Gets Record 13.5 Years for Spying for Iran

A district court in Lod, Israel, has sentenced Alexander Granovsky, a resident of Petah Tikva, to 13 and a half years in prison for carrying out espionage missions for an Iranian agent. This marks the harshest sentence to date in Israel for individuals recruited by Iranian agents via social media. Granovsky maintained regular contact with his handler through Telegram, filming power plants and the neighborhood of lawmaker Benny Gantz at the agent's request before sending the footage. He also set fire to nine vehicles, committed acts of vandalism, and was instructed to destroy IDF uniforms. Furthermore, he acted as a go-between to find individuals with criminal backgrounds for violent actions on behalf of the Iranian agent, for which he received several thousand dollars via a digital wallet.

According to the indictment, Granovsky took measures to conceal his identity and knew his contact was working for an entity hostile to Israel, yet he continued the collaboration. He even proactively suggested missions and repeatedly requested more significant operations. Granovsky confessed to all charges, including contact with a foreign agent, transmitting information to the enemy, arson, and vandalism.

The prosecution highlighted the unprecedented nature of the sentence, stating it reflects the severity of collaborating with agents of a hostile nation. The court emphasized the sentence's deterrent purpose, aiming to ensure anyone tempted to act for a hostile power for financial gain faces a "very long and extremely heavy" prison term.