Iran's state TV shows researcher confessing to espionage
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's state TV has aired a broadcast in which an Iranian researcher confesses to relaying information to a foreign intelligence service about Iranian nuclear scientists who were later assassinated in 2010.
In the Sunday broadcast, Ahmad Reza Jalali, in jail since April 2016, said that during his studies in a European country, a man he identified as "Thomas" approached him with a job offer and ultimately recruited him to the country's foreign intelligence service. He added that the service promised to make him a citizen of that country.
He did not name the country, but the broadcast carried images of a Swedish ID card and Rome's Colosseum.
Rights groups have condemned Jalali's detention, saying it follows a pattern of Iran detaining dual nationals indefinitely without due process.
