Ultra-Orthodox man convicted of spying for Iran, sentenced to three years in prison
An ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student from Beit Shemesh was convicted of spying for the Iranian regime and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, the Jerusalem District Court announced.
22-year old Elimelech Stern was found guilty of maintaining contact with a foreign agent and conspiring to threaten people after carrying out several missions at the behest of an Iranian intelligence agent in exchange for money in 2024.
The sentence was relatively light due to his motivation being financial rather than ideological, explained Judge Miriam Lomp.
“The crime for which the defendant was convicted is serious and has great potential to harm the security of the state and undermine Israel’s very existence,” she wrote, “Contact with a foreign agent does harm to security due to the concern for the transfer of information to the enemy, knowingly or unknowingly, especially when this contact is translated into threats against people in Israel.”
“The severity of the defendant’s crimes is heightened by the fact that he is an Israeli and the country therefore puts its faith in him.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
