British soldier jailed for 10 years for spying for Iran

November 28, 2008

An Iranian-born British soldier has been jailed for ten years after being convicted of "communicating information useful to an enemy". Forty-five year-old Daniel James from Brighton had been the personal translator for the head of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, General Sir David Richards.

After joining the Territorial Army, Britain's army reserve, James was sent to Afghanistan in May 2006. He was arrested in December 2006, two months after he made contact with Colonel Mohammed Hossein Heydari, an Iranian military attaché in Kabul. The court heard allegations that James believed he had been denied promotion because of racism and jealousy, and also that he had debts of £25,000 and had mortgages on four properties in Brighton.

The jury at London's Central Criminal Court was unable to agree on verdicts on two other charges under the Official Secrets Act, relating to his possession of sensitive documents on a USB memory stick, and a second of misconduct in a public office.