Israeli Sentenced to Seven Years for Spying for Iranian Intelligence

The Nazareth District Court sentenced Israeli citizen Artyom Zolotarev to seven years in prison for espionage and sabotage activities on behalf of Iranian intelligence. Zolotarev, 35, was convicted of contact with a foreign agent, espionage, and property damage. Over several months, he maintained continuous communication with Iranian intelligence operatives and carried out multiple missions within Israel in exchange for thousands of dollars.

In addition to the prison term, Zolotarev received a 12-month suspended sentence, a 10,000 shekel fine, and was ordered to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation to each of the four vehicle owners whose cars he set on fire. His arrest in December 2024 followed suspicions of security offenses involving collaboration with Iranian intelligence and performing security-related tasks in Israel for payment.

Zolotarev conducted numerous graffiti sprayings in the Nazareth, Haifa, and Migdal HaEmek areas, documenting his actions with photos and videos sent to his Iranian handler. He also set a vehicle on fire in Haifa. After sending the images, he erased the graffiti to prevent public visibility. For these activities, he received approximately $2,800 in cryptocurrency.