Rights groups say Iranian twins sentenced to death on espionage charges
Two 20-year-old twin brothers imprisoned in Iran's Ghezel Hesar Prison have been sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel, according to Iranian rights groups.
Iran Human Rights said Hassan and Hossein Amiri were convicted by Branch 26 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari.
According to the group, Hassan Amiri was arrested at a checkpoint on March 19 after authorities allegedly found an image of a bombed location on his mobile phone.
The organization cited an informed source as saying Hassan was subjected to torture and forced to falsely confess that his twin brother, Hossein, possessed additional images on a laptop. The source said neither brother owned a laptop.
Hossein Amiri, a car mechanic in Karaj, was arrested on March 23. Six days later, both brothers were transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison for interrogation.
HRANA, another rights group, reported that prosecutors cited images of damaged buildings as the basis for the espionage charges brought against the two men.
