Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence announced the arrest of 13 people accused of “espionage” in Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, Golestan and West Azerbaijan Provinces.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mizan Online News Agency, 13 individuals were arrested for allegedly “espionage.”

The Ministry of intelligence claimed that in Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, Golestan and West Azerbaijan Provinces, 23 individuals working for Mossad (the intelligence agency of Israel) were detected, of which 13 people residing inside the country were apprehended before they could take any action. The Ministry claimed that the “head of this spy network” has been identified as “Sirus,” residing in one of the European Countries. This report did not disclose the detainees’ identities.

Although the prosecution of individuals for espionage is not considered a violation of human rights, there are concerns about the validity of these allegations due to the frequent use of such accusations by Iran’s regime in order to suppress its political dissidents and due to the ambiguities in legal proceedings and the lack of transparency about such legal cases.