Second Iranian Jew Released After Serving Spy Sentence

On the eve of Passover in 1999, 13 Jews from Shiran and Isfahan in southern Iran were arrested and accused of spying for Israel and the United States. Those arrested include a rabbi, a ritual slaughterer, and teachers. In September 2000, an Iranian appeals court upheld a decision to imprison ten of the thirteen Jews accused of spying for Israel. In the appeals court, ten of the accused were found guilty of cooperating with Israel and were given prison terms ranging from two to nine years. Three of the accused were found innocent in the first trial. In March 2001, Ramin Nematizadeh was released. In January 2002, Faramarz Kashi was freed after completing his sentence. He had been originally sentenced to five years in prison, but an appeals court reduced the sentence to three years and included his time awaiting trial.

Source: Jerusalem Post, (January 16, 2002).