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Iran approves bill toughening penalty for spying for US, Israel
The bill was presented to Parliament on June 23, as Iran and Israel were engaged in a war that saw unprecedented Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, which the US briefly joined.
Iran's president must sign off on the bill before it goes into effect. It comes after dozens of people were captured by authorities on suspicion of spying for Israel and the United States in the aftermath of the aggression against Iran.
The text approving "tougher sanctions for spying and collaborating with the Zionist regime (Israel) and hostile countries, including the United States, on security and national interests" was approved, said the Guardian Council, the body responsible for overseeing legislation.
It did not specify which other countries were considered "hostile", according to state news agency IRNA, but said "all deliberate assistance is condemned as corruption on Earth" – one of the most serious charges in Iran, punishable by death.
The previous, existing law did not specify particular countries, and espionage was not necessarily considered a capital offence.
The new bill sets a penalty of up to two years for "using, transporting, buying or selling unlicensed internet devices such as Starlink.”
It also outlaws sending videos and images to "hostile or foreign channels that... could undermine national security," an offence punishable by up to five years in prison, according to IRNA.
The bill moreover bans "all illegal marches and gatherings during wartime.”