The Iranian-born Swedish brothers are accused of spying for Russia and its army intelligence service for 10 years.
A trial has opened in Sweden within the case of two Iranian-born Swedish brothers who’ve been charged with spying for Russia and its army intelligence service GRU for 10 years.
Peyman Kia, 42, and Payam Kia, 35, appeared earlier than the Stockholm District Courtroom on Friday to face accusations of getting labored collectively to go info to Russia between September 28, 2011, and September 20, 2021.
Between 2014 and 2015, Peyman Kia labored for Sweden’s home intelligence company and in addition for Sweden’s armed forces.
Sweden’s prosecutors allege that the information they gave the Russians originated from a number of authorities inside the Swedish safety and intelligence service, identified by its acronym SAPO.
Swedish media stated that Peyman Kia labored for the armed forces’ overseas defence intelligence company, whose Swedish acronym is MUST, and reportedly labored with a top-secret unit underneath MUST, which was coping with Swedish spies overseas.
Anton Strand, lawyer for the eldest man, stated on Thursday his shopper continues to disclaim the accusations.
“He has been working in several positions for the Swedish authorities and has at all times executed his greatest to do a great job in a really tough setting,” Strand stated.
‘Large downside’
Intelligence professional Joakim von Braun informed Swedish broadcaster SVT because the trial opened that despite the fact that many particulars stay unknown, it gave the impression to be certainly one of most damaging circumstances of espionage in Sweden’s historical past as a result of the boys compiled an inventory of all the staff inside SAPO.
“That alone is a giant downside as a result of Russian intelligence focuses on human sources,” von Braun stated.
Peyman Kia was arrested in September 2021 and his brother in November 2021. Each denied any wrongdoing, their defence legal professionals informed the court docket.
Payam Kia, 35, helped his brother and “dismantled and broke a tough drive which was later present in a trash can” when his brother was arrested, in response to a cost sheet obtained by the Related Press information company.
The naturalised Swedish residents face sentences as much as life imprisonment if convicted.