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Iran sentences man to 10 years for espionage

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's official IRNA news agency is reporting that a 62-year-old man has been sentenced to a 10-year prison term on espionage charges.

The Monday report quotes Hassan Heidari, a judiciary official in the northeastern city of Mashhad, as saying the accused person was arrested five months ago. The report does not identify the man.

The verdict comes after intelligence officials investigated the man for months, the report said.

According to IRNA, the man was recruited by a foreign intelligence service on the pretext of a Hajj visa, a reference to Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia.

IRNA said the accused person has faced a charge of espionage in another country, too. It did not elaborate.

Iran occasionally announces the arrest of spies without further reports on their fates.