(Adnkronos) – In Iran, a law has been approved that provides for harsher sentences for those found guilty of espionage and collaboration with Israel or the United States. According to local media, the law was presented to Parliament on June 23 – that is, during the so-called 12-day war with Israel – and has now been approved by the Guardian Council, the body of the Islamic Republic responsible for vetting the compatibility of laws with the Constitution. For it to come into force, it must be signed by the president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
The rule establishes that any collaboration with “the Zionist regime and hostile countries, including the United States” is equated to the crime of ‘corruption on Earth’, one of the most serious charges in the Iranian legal system and which can lead to the death penalty.
According to the official Irna news agency, the measure significantly expands the scope of application compared to the previous law, which did not expressly mention “hostile countries” and did not provide for capital punishment for espionage offenses. The new provisions also include up to two years in prison for the use, sale, or dissemination of unauthorized internet devices, such as those of the Starlink satellite network, and up to five years in prison for those who send images or videos to foreign channels deemed hostile and capable of “undermining national security”.
