On July 1, the judge in the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, Iran, announced the verdicts on the 13 Jews on trial for spying for Israel. The harsh verdicts against 10 of the defendants range from 4 to 13 years. The three defendants who have been out on bail since February were acquitted. The announcement of the verdict does not mark the end of this process.
Defense attorneys have twenty days to file appeals.
The international community, Jewish groups around the world and human rights groups have vocally condemned this verdict and expressed outrage at the lack of due process throughout the trial. Vigorous international efforts to reverse the verdicts and gain the freedom of the 10 Jews are already underway. The process has contravened international judicial norms. There was no evidence that the 13 spied for Israel. The so-called confessions on which the verdict is based were full of contradictions and inconsistencies.