Iran-born brothers charged in Sweden with spying for Russia

Two Iranian-born brothers have been dropped at court docket in Sweden for allegedly spying for Russia and its navy intelligence service GRU for almost a decade, prosecutors stated Friday. 

One of many males labored for Sweden’s home intelligence company.

Authorities recognized the 2 males as Peyman Kia, 42, and Payam Kia, 35. 

The brothers have been charged with aggravated espionage, whereas considered one of them was additionally indicted for the alleged gross unauthorised dealing with of secret data. It was not instantly clear which of the 2 was being charged with the latter.

Each withstand life imprisonment if convicted. A life sentence in Sweden typically means a minimal of 20-25 years in jail.

“It has been a fancy investigation regarding against the law that could be very tough to analyze and the suspicion issues very severe criminality directed in opposition to Sweden’s intelligence and safety system,” Nationwide Safety Unit chief prosecutor Per Lindqvist stated.

“The data that has been obtained, transmitted and divulged may, by the truth that if it comes into the arms of a overseas energy, end in detriment to Sweden’s safety,” Lindqvist stated in a press release.

Crimes ‘very severe’, prosecutor says

In response to the cost sheet, the lads have “collectively” handed data to GRU through the interval between 28 September 2011 and 20 September 2021.

It added that the information have been acquired by means of one of many males’s work inside Sweden’s home intelligence company and the nation’s armed forces. 

The information originates from a number of authorities inside the Swedish safety and intelligence companies.

His brother helped with the contacts with “Russia and the GRU together with issues of give up of knowledge and receipt of compensation.” 

In response to the costs, Payam Kia “dismantled and broke a tough drive which was later present in a trash can” when his brother was arrested.

The case has been investigated by Sweden’s home safety service, SAPO. Sweden’s prosecution authority stated a lot of the data within the preliminary investigation is secret and couldn’t provide particulars.

SAPO stated it grew to become suspicious of the previous worker, and a preliminary investigation was launched in 2017. 

Lindqvist stated the inquiry was began “as a result of there was a suspicion that there was a mole, an insider” inside Sweden’s intelligence group.

The home spy company confirmed that Peyman Kia had labored there between 2014 and 2015, and that earlier than that had labored within the Swedish armed forces. 

“It’s throughout these employments that the suspected acquisition should have taken place,” Lindqvist stated.

Swedish media stated that he labored for the armed forces’ overseas defence intelligence company MUST and reportedly labored with a top-secret unit beneath it coping with Swedish spies overseas. He later labored for Swedish Customs.

“The suspected crime is a danger that each safety service is nicely conscious of, though we do the whole lot to counter it,” stated Anders Kassman at SAPO.

Peder Ohlsson, head of the armed forces’ press division, known as the crimes “very severe”.

Swedish Protection Minister Pål Jonson stated he had been knowledgeable of the case however declined to remark.

The brothers grew to become Swedish residents in 1994. The youthful brother reportedly labored for SAPO, Swedish media reported.

They have been arrested in September and November 2021. Each have denied any wrongdoing, Swedish media reported.