Iranian Suspects Sought £150,000 to ‘Finish Off’ Journalist, Court Hears

Three Iranian men on trial in London allegedly plotted to target a journalist with £150k for 'serious violence'.

October 6, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — Three Iranian men are facing charges of espionage and plotting against UK-based journalists, according to court proceedings.

The defendants, who appeared in a court sketch during their May 2025 hearing, have denied all accusations. They are accused of conducting surveillance and reconnaissance as part of an alleged plan involving serious violence against at least one journalist based in London.

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Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Noori, 57, are said to have used AI tools like ChatGPT to assist in their research before engaging in surveillance activities. A court was told that one of the suspects sought £150,000 to ‘finish off’ a journalist, highlighting the gravity of the alleged plot.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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