Terrorist dealing with jail for spying on TV channel important of Iran
- Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev was discovered responsible of spying on a London TV channel
- He took movies detailing the dissident TV station’s safety preparations
- He claimed he was ‘in surprise on the structure’ of Chiswick Business Park
A terror scout has been discovered responsible of spying on a dissident Iranian tv channel in a London enterprise park, after claiming he was in ‘surprise on the structure’ of the location.
Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 31, took seven movies detailing the safety preparations of Volant Media, which runs Persian-language tv channel Iran International, based mostly in Chiswick Business Park in west London in February.
Following a trial on the Old Bailey, the Chechnya-born Austrian nationwide was discovered responsible of making an attempt to gather data on the information organisation, described as an ‘unbiased Farsi language information channel which has been important of the present regime in Iran.’
Prosecutors mentioned throughout his trial that he was seen taking a eager curiosity in Building 11, the house of Volant Media.
Security guards mentioned Dovtaev, who was carrying a baseball and a facemask on the time, retreated to a close-by Starbucks after he realised he was being noticed, they added.
‘Before this time, he had been transferring round together with his telephone and holding it up in a motion which appeared like he was recording a film or taking a photograph.’
Body digicam footage of Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev being arrested by counter-terrorism law enforcement officials
Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev at Gatwick Airport. shortly earlier than he travelled to Chiswick Business Park
He was confronted by police, who arrested him and took him to Hammersmith police station
Prosecutors mentioned throughout his trial that he was seen taking a eager curiosity in Building 11, the house of Volant Media
He was confronted by police, who arrested him and took him to Hammersmith police station.
His barrister, Seema Dosaj, mentioned throughout his trial that he had ‘organized to satisfy a buddy in Chiswick park, and that’s the reason he was there.’
Dovtaev made no response within the dock when the jury delivered its unanimous verdict on Wednesday after almost seven hours of deliberations.
Judge Richard Marks KC remanded him into custody to be sentenced on Friday.
Afterwards, an Iran International spokesperson mentioned its journalists wouldn’t be ‘cowed by threats’.
‘This trial was a reminder of the threats journalists and information organisations face. Journalism is beneath assault the world over from those that search to suppress media freedom,’ he mentioned.
‘We is not going to be cowed by threats. Our journalists will proceed to supply the unbiased, uncensored information the folks of Iran deserve.
‘Today’s verdict sends a transparent message that the UK stays a bastion of free speech the place threats towards journalists is not going to be tolerated.
A mugshot of Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev,who was at this time discovered responsible of spying
He fled to a close-by Starbucks after he realised he had been noticed
Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev being arrested by counter-terrorism law enforcement officials (Met Police/PA)
‘We are grateful to the Metropolitan Police for all they do to make sure our security.’
Commenting on the case, Met Commander Dominic Murphy mentioned counter-terrorism police had been ‘very alive’ to the risk posed by Iran to potential targets on British soil.
The head of the Met’s SO15 Counter-terrorism Command mentioned: ‘For a substantial period of time, we have been fearful about threats projected into the UK from Iran.
‘At this time, we do not know why Dovtaev was conducting this exercise besides to say that we consider very strongly that it was for terrorism.
‘We do not know who did it however we have now all the time been involved about threats projected into the UK, and on this case notably towards Persian language media.
‘I’m happy to say the corporate are nonetheless broadcasting from London, however simply in a distinct location now.’
Fifteen plots ‘generated from Iran’ towards people or organisations within the UK have been disrupted and police remained alive to the risk from the hostile state, he mentioned.
Jurors had heard how Iran International had been extremely important of the Iranian authorities for years and publicly accused it of human rights violations.
Last September, it reported on the loss of life of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for allegedly violating scarf guidelines.
Jurors had heard how Iran International had been extremely important of the Iranian authorities for years and publicly accused it of human rights violations
On February 11, IT employee and married father-of-three Dovtaev boarded a aircraft from Vienna to Gatwick
Amid the following protests in Iran, the nation’s minister of intelligence designated the tv channel a ‘terrorist organisation’.
In November, state-owned Iranian media described Iran International as being on a ‘terror blacklist’.
It said: ‘Those working the TV channel have been declared as ‘wished’ by the Ministry (of Intelligence).’
Jurors had been instructed of shut political ties between Iran, Russia and Chechnya, the place the defendant was born.
Since 2019, Iran has been in a strategic alliance with Russia.
Chechnya was described as a ‘topic’ of the Russian Federation and had deployed forces to battle in Ukraine final 12 months, jurors heard.
On February 11, IT employee and married father-of-three Dovtaev boarded a aircraft from Vienna to Gatwick.
From the airport, he took a taxi on to the headquarters of Iran International and carried out ‘hostile reconnaissance’ for an unidentified particular person or group, the court docket was instructed.
He sought to ‘establish and exploit’ vulnerabilities within the safety of the corporate’s premises within the Chiswick Business Park, west London, jurors heard.
When initially questioned, he instructed safety guards he was assembly a buddy.
He was arrested by police at a close-by Starbucks cafe after he was seen filming the Iran International constructing on his telephone.
In a ready assertion to police, he denied being concerned with any terrorist organisation and claimed he had taken a video ‘to point out to my three kids as there was a lake there’.
The court docket heard Dovtaev’s journey was the newest in a sequence of comparable visits by ‘others unknown’ to establish chinks in safety that may very well be exploited by these planning an assault.
Prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer KC mentioned: ‘As a results of the Iranian authorities’ angle in direction of Iran International, the organisation and its workers all turned targets for violent reprisals.
‘As such, the safety at their administrative center was of very actual and sensible curiosity to those that would possibly want to perform such reprisals.
‘The actual fact that the defendant went to gather data reveals that planning by others was already beneath manner.’
Giving proof, the defendant denied wrongdoing and claimed he had been ‘arrange’.
He claimed to not know why he had been despatched to the enterprise park and mentioned he felt tricked by his contact, whose identification he didn’t know.
Asked why he appeared to take an curiosity within the constructing and its environment, he mentioned he ‘fairly merely appreciated it’ and was ‘in surprise on the structure’.
Dovtaev mentioned he had been despatched to the UK to do one thing he ‘did not perceive’ and that he had ‘no motive’ to assist the Iranian authorities to assault its enemies in England.
