Iran begins trial of CIA operative
An Iranian court has begun the trial of the CIA trained operative who was arrested by Iran's intelligence agents last week on charges of espionage for the US.
According to the indictment which was read out at court, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati has been charged with attempting to infiltrate Iran's intelligence apparatus to implicate the Islamic Republic in sponsoring terrorism.
The indictment added that the defendant had been hired by CIA in May 2009 to carry out espionage missions in Iran.
Hekmati stood in the dock and confessed to having been deceived by the CIA to spy on Iran. He explained that his mission was to offer Iran's intelligence agents valid intelligence in return for money and to confirm payment by getting a receipt.
Judge Salavati, who presided over the session, explained that the receipt was to be used by US intelligence officials to create a negative atmosphere against Iran at international level by charging the country with complicity in terrorist activities.
When asked why he had accepted such a mission, Hekmati said, “I was deceived and trusted them because they told me there will be no problem. I told myself that it was their job and they would not allow a CIA agent to be arrested. They never told me that there was possibility of getting arrested.”
The prosecution said at the end of the hearing that Hekmati aimed to infiltrate Iran's intelligence apparatus and had received necessary training and there was no doubt about his motives to carry out espionage activities.
The prosecution added that the defendant had met with Iranian intelligence agents three times in line with his mission and without knowing that he had been identified.
On Saturday, December 17, Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced that it has arrested a CIA spy of Iranian descent, foiling an intricate American plot to carry out espionage activities in the Islamic Republic.
In a televised confession broadcast on the Iranian television on Sunday night, the US intelligence operative, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, said he joined the US Army in 2001 and underwent decade-long intelligence training.
He added that he was sent to the US-run Bagram Airbase in eastern Afghanistan and given access to classified intelligence before flying to Tehran.
Hekmati served with the US Marines as an Arabic translator, and travelled to Iran some four months ago, said his father, adding that Amir was born in the State of Arizona in southwestern US and joined the Marines after he received his high school diploma.