Mir Yeshiva has issued a sharp response following widespread reports identifying the American bochur indicted on espionage charges as a talmid of the famed yeshiva, insisting that the claims are entirely false.

In a statement released Friday, the yeshiva said the accused was never enrolled as a talmid at Mir and had no connection whatsoever to the institution.

“The bochur against whom the indictment was filed was not registered as a talmid in Mir Yeshiva, never studied there, and has no connection to the yeshiva,” the statement read.

The yeshiva further criticized media outlets for continuing to associate its name with the case, saying such reports are inaccurate and mislead the public.

“Any publication or claim linking his name to Mir Yeshiva is false and does not reflect the facts,” the statement added.

The clarification came after news outlets reported that a 21-year-old American bochur studying in Yerushalayim had been indicted for allegedly carrying out assignments on behalf of Iranian operatives. According to prosecutors, the suspect allegedly photographed various locations, carried out dead-drop missions, and was asked to recruit additional yeshiva bochurim, receiving payments in cryptocurrency for the tasks.

{Matzav.com}