The State Prosecutor's Office has submitted a severe indictment against Eli Levon, a 21-year-old from Jerusalem, on charges of spying for Iran.
According to the indictment paper, Levon was in direct contact with hostile actors who worked on behalf of Iranian intelligence and carried out various tasks for them. Together with the indictment, the Prosecutor's Office requested that the suspect be detained until the end of the legal process against him.
According to the indictment paper, contact between the young Jerusalemite and his Iranian handlers was conducted on a discreet digital platform, with the intelligence agents instructing him to carry out intelligence collection tasks. In return for his services, Levon received a series of payments which were transferred via cryptocurrencies to obscure their traces and make it difficult for security forces and the Shin Bet to intercept the transactions.
The detailed charges outline the nature of the assignments the defendant was allegedly instructed to carry out in the heart of Jerusalem, tasks investigators say indicate intelligence gathering in preparation for future terrorist attacks or acts of sabotage.
According to the indictment, Levon traveled to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and photographed the site from multiple angles. He was also allegedly instructed to document and photograph a specific building in the city’s historic Bukharan Quarter before transmitting the images directly to his handlers abroad.
In one of the incidents described in the indictment, the defendant allegedly acted as a field operative by taking part in a covert “dead drop" mission. He reportedly went to the Hadar Mall, where he concealed a cigarette pack at a prearranged hiding place. Inside the pack, he allegedly left a note intended for other operatives bearing the words: “The job is complete."
According to the indictment, Levon received approximately $1,379 in cryptocurrency from Iranian operatives in exchange for carrying out the assignments.