The Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday evening authorized the publication of the names of two brothers accused of spying on behalf of Iran. The defendants are Meir Nachum of Beitar Illit and Yosef Nachum of Modiin Illit, who are charged with maintaining contact with an Iranian agent while using artificial intelligence tools and impersonating a soldier from Unit 8200. The brothers had sought to block the release of their identities, arguing that it could expose them to retaliation by Iranian elements and cause severe psychological harm.

Justice Alex Stein ruled that the names could be made public. Meir Nachum, 24, and Yosef Nachum, 28, are accused of engaging with an Iranian operative over an extended period, during which time one of them allegedly posed as a member of Israel’s elite intelligence Unit 8200 while communicating through AI-based platforms.

According to investigators, the Iranian agents initially reached the brothers through a Telegram-based “phishing” scheme. The connection reportedly continued for several months, during which the suspects carried out various security-related activities with the understanding that they were acting on behalf of Iran.

Prosecutors allege that Meir Nachum, identified as the primary defendant, received tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency from the Iranian agent. Among other actions, he is accused of contributing to the arrest of an innocent Iranian civilian. Yosef Nachum is charged with passing information to an enemy as part of a coordinated effort.

The brothers argued before the court that publicizing their names could endanger them by inviting retaliation and inflict serious emotional damage. However, Justice Stein rejected the request, stating that these claims were speculative and did not demonstrate a high likelihood of danger. He also noted that any psychological harm resulting from the publication would not be considered unusual compared to other defendants facing serious criminal charges.

{Matzav.com}