UK frees jailed spy for Iran International surveillance, deported to Austria

A 33-year-old Austrian national of Chechen origin, Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, was released after about 28 months of a 3.5-year prison sentence for filming Iran International’s London offices to aid a potential terrorist attack and was deported to Austria, which will take no further action. Dovtaev said he was offered around €50,000 for the reconnaissance, and prosecutors said the information could have facilitated an attack, though authorities could not prove who ordered it, though Iran was suspected. A parole panel found he no longer posed a public risk, citing greed and recklessness rather than ideology, in a case highlighting ongoing security concerns over Iran-linked threats to Persian-language media in Britain.