Iran moves to punish ‘spying’ as it proclaims victory over Israel, US

Iranian authorities are moving to allow for tougher punishment of cooperation with foreign governments after a 12-day war with Israel and the United States ended with a ceasefire on Monday.

In a late Tuesday written message addressed to the Iranian nation, President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed a “historic victory” and said plans to sow “discord and division” among Iranians would fail.

At the same time, the country’s parliament and judiciary are advancing efforts to enforce more serious punishment against any action viewed as damaging to national security.

The Iranian parliament on Monday approved a plan to “intensify punishment for espionage and collaborators with the Zionist regime [Israel] and hostile countries against national security and interests”.

Alireza Salimi, a member of the presiding board of the parliament, said “any intelligence or espionage activity or practical action” that would favour Israel, the US and others could, as part of the proposal, be considered an example of “corruption on Earth” – a crime that carries the death penalty.

The legislation also targets people linked to weapons “that can kill or create chaos and terror”, as well as those who receive money, property or cryptocurrencies in exchange for services to hostile states.

The bill is expected to “give the security forces a freer hand”, according to the lawmaker.

Asghar Jahangir, the Iranian judiciary spokesperson, told state television on Tuesday that the country’s current law on espionage is too general, and might not cover the types of espionage Iran currently faces. He said the current law would cause “restrictions and limitations” for authorities who wish to punish people arrested during the war with Israel.

Credit: aljazeera.com

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