A former British soldier, aged 23, was convicted on Thursday of passing sensitive information to the Iranian intelligence service. The soldier, who had previously escaped from a London prison, was found guilty by a jury in Woolwich Crown Court on violations of Britain's Official Secrets Act.
Prosecutors revealed that the soldier had delivered a significant amount of restricted and classified material to Iran, including the names of special forces officers. Despite claiming he wanted to be a spy, the soldier was accused of playing a 'cynical game' by passing on this information.
The soldier testified that his actions were part of a ploy to work as a double-agent for Britain, inspired by the TV show 'Homeland.' His defense lawyer described his aspirations as naive and bordering on slapstick, likening him to 'Scooby Doo' rather than '007.'
The soldier's case gained attention when he escaped from a London prison in September 2023, sparking a three-day manhunt. He had escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery truck and was eventually captured on a canal path.
Having joined the Army at 16 and being assigned to a communications unit, the soldier began passing information to an individual connected with Iranian intelligence at the age of 17. Despite being denied entry to the intelligence service due to his Iranian heritage, he continued his activities.
British security officials were unaware of the soldier's contacts with the Iranians until he anonymously reached out to MI6, offering to work as a double-agent. He claimed to have provided mostly fabricated information or documents available online, rather than exposing military secrets.
