A British court has sentenced a Chechen-born man to three and a half years in prison after being found guilty of spying on an opposition Iranian television station based in London, assisting terrorists in plotting an attack. Magomed Hussein Dovtaev, 31, was charged with surveilling the headquarters of Iran International in West London as part of a plan by others to carry out a terrorist attack.
Dovtaev was convicted earlier this week of attempting to gather information useful for terrorism. The Old Bailey court in London decreed that he must serve two-thirds of his sentence, deducting the time already spent in custody.
The court heard that the television station has been critical of the Iranian government for years, accusing it of human rights violations. Dovtaev denied the charges, claiming he was “set up” by an unknown contact. He told the jury he did not know why he was sent to Chiswick Business Park, the location of Iran International’s headquarters, and felt deceived by the unidentified contact.
During his defense, Dovtaev admitted to capturing a video on his phone at the business complex, expressing admiration for the architectural design and the central lake. The prosecution clarified that they do not suggest Dovtaev himself intended to carry out or participate in an attack on the building or its staff.
Dovtaev arrived at Gatwick Airport from Vienna on February 11th this year for a “hostile reconnaissance” mission. He traveled directly to the headquarters and was seen casually walking in front of the building. Security approached him as he was talking into his Apple Airpod earphones in Russian. He was then directed to a café, where armed police arrested him while sitting at a table.
Subsequent examination of his phone revealed he was recording security arrangements while passing by. It emerged that Dovtaev’s visit was the latest in a series of at least three visits by “other unknown individuals” who also recorded videos, starting from the summer of 2022.
Recent incidents against Iranians have primarily involved internal repression, particularly against minority groups and in response to protests. One significant case involves the increased repression of Iran’s Baha’i minority. The Baha’i International Community (BIC) reported over 200 acts of persecution, including the arrests of 19 Baha’is in raids on homes in the cities of Karaj and Hamadan this month. These arrests were part of a broader pattern of discrimination against the Baha’is, who have no religious rights under Iran’s constitution. This pattern includes arbitrary detentions, interrogations, unlawful arrests, torture, ill-treatment, destruction of properties, cemetery desecration, denial of education rights, and economic pressures.
United Nations has also reported a concerning human rights situation in Iran. A recent UN report highlighted a record number of executions in 2022, arrests of thousands of children, and numerous allegations of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. The report was particularly alarmed by the high number of death penalty sentences and executions during the reporting period, noting a 75% increase compared to 2021.
