Herat man sentenced to 16 years in jail for spying

HERAT CITY (PAN): A court in western Herat province on Tuesday sentenced a 23-year-old man to 16 years in jail for spying for Iran.

Mehmood, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by a judicial panel during an open trial on the basis of evidence against him.

Representatives of media outlets and residents watched the proceedings, said the urban court director, Sirajuddin Nisar. He added Mehmood was accused of committing treason by spying for a foreign country.    

A judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mehmood, a resident of the province, had been arrested while taking photographs of a government weapons depot for Iranian intelligence services.

Under Article 1 of the Afghan law on domestic and external crimes, the judicial panel announced its verdict on the basis of evidence.

However, the accused said the verdict was unacceptable to him, insisting he was innocent. “All the accusations against me are false and I won’t accept the judgment.”

mm/ma /mud

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