Israeli Sentenced to Three Years for Contacting Iranian Agent

A district court in Be'er Sheva sentenced Doron Buchbutza, a 30-year-old electrical and electronics engineer from the city, to three years in prison on Sunday. Buchbutza was convicted of contacting a foreign agent after he reached out to an Iranian operative, claimed to have access to the Dimona nuclear reactor, and received payment for several tasks. The sentence was handed down as part of a plea agreement where the prosecution agreed to cap its punishment demand at five years. Buchbutza, a former court security guard, received a total of a few thousand shekels in digital currency from the Iranians. His tasks included taking photos and videos, amplifying a post by Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and posting on social media in support of Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or, who was then still a hostage in Gaza, whom he allegedly knew personally.

According to a probation service report, imposing a prison sentence could lead to a regression in Buchbutza's mental state and significantly harm his self-image as a law-abiding citizen. The report recommended leniency. However, Judge Dina Cohen decided on a three-year sentence, noting that accepting the probation service's recommendation would send a "weak message."

Buchbutza was arrested in February 2025 by the police and the Shin Bet on suspicion of "security offenses related to contact with intelligence elements of the Iranian regime." His investigation revealed he had been in contact with Iranian intelligence for several months. He presented himself to his handler as having access to a classified facility at the Nuclear Research Center. The indictment, filed about a month after his arrest, emphasized that Buchbutza "initiated the contact, with full understanding that he was contacting an Iranian handler, and that he could harm the country's security."

He reportedly initiated contact via the Telegram app, approaching profiles with images of the Islamic Republic's flag. In December 2024, Buchbutza allegedly sent the agent a message in Hebrew stating, "I am Israeli and I want to work with you." When asked why, he cited "the government" and financial difficulties. The Iranian agent instructed Buchbutza to prove himself by filming a video of himself in the street and making a gesture with his fingers. Buchbutza then opened a digital wallet, as instructed by the agent, into which digital currency worth 3,250 shekels was deposited.