1999 arrest of Iranian Jews

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|court = Islamic Revolutionary Court, Fars province, 3rd branch

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|judges = Sadegh Nourani

{{cite web|title=هشتمین جلسهٔ محاکمه یهودیان متهم به جاسوسی برگزار شد|url=https://www.isna.ir/news/7903-01509|publisher=ISNA|access-date=2019-08-21|language=fa |trans-title=Eighth court hearing for Jews accused of spying|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818170644/https://www.isna.ir/news/7903-01509/%D9%87%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%87-%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%83%D9%85%D9%87-%D9%8A%D9%87%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF|archive-date=2019-08-18 |url-status=live }}

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In 1999, the Intelligence Ministry of Iran arrested 13 Iranian Jews, accusing them of spying for Mossad.

Security agents arrested 13 Jewish residents of the Iranian cities of Shiraz and Isfahan, including five merchants, a rabbi, two university professors, three teachers in private Hebrew schools, a kosher butcher and a 16-year-old boy, accusing them of spying for Israel. After a trial in Islamic Revolutionary Court, 10 were sentenced to 4–13 years in prison. The Israeli government and many U.S. Jewish groups and Jewish federations worldwide organized a pressure campaign globally against the Government of Iran, with demonstrations in front of Iranian embassies worldwide.

As a result of the pressure campaigns and secret negotiations, the prisoners were gradually freed in small groups.

The last prisoners were released on February 19, 2003. First news were leaked online on March 18, the news was ignored amid the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. All of them emigrated to Israel and live there with their families.{{cite web |last1=Jehl |first1=Douglas |title=Arrest of 13 Iranian Jews as Spies Divides Factions in Teheran |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/18/world/arrest-of-13-iranian-jews-as-spies-divides-factions-in-teheran.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913141143/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/18/world/arrest-of-13-iranian-jews-as-spies-divides-factions-in-teheran.html |archive-date=2017-09-13 |date=1999-06-18 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Collier |first1=Robert |title=Thirteen Prisoners in Iran: The Untold Story of a Negotiation That Worked |url=https://nationalinterest.org/commentary/thirteen-prisoners-iran-the-untold-story-negotiation-worked-9544 |publisher=National Interest |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407070308/http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/thirteen-prisoners-iran-the-untold-story-negotiation-worked-9544 |archive-date=2015-04-07 |date=2013-12-11 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Abdo |first1=Geneive |title=Outcry as Iran arrests 13 on spy charges |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jun/11/iran |work=The Guardian |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505003017/https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jun/11/iran |archive-date=2017-05-05 |date=1999-06-10 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Rubin |first1=Michael |title=Khatami's Next Test: The Trial of Thirteen Jews |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/khatamis-next-test-the-trial-of-thirteen-jews |publisher=Washington Institute for Near East Policy |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818161919/https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/khatamis-next-test-the-trial-of-thirteen-jews |archive-date=2019-08-18 |date=2000-03-11 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Tugend |first1=Tom |title=Families fear for 13 Jews Iran calls spies |url=https://www.jweekly.com/1999/06/18/families-fear-for-13-jews-iran-calls-spies/ |publisher=The Jewish News of Northern California |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831172727/https://www.jweekly.com/1999/06/18/families-fear-for-13-jews-iran-calls-spies/ |archive-date=2017-08-31 |date=1999-06-18 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |author=Michael Theodoulou |title=Uneasy times for Iran's Jews |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1999/1026/p6s1.html |work=The Christian Science Monitor |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831172727/https://www.jweekly.com/1999/06/18/families-fear-for-13-jews-iran-calls-spies/ |archive-date=2017-08-31 |date=1999-06-18 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=Howard |title=Spying Arrests Heighten Iranian Jews' Anxiety |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-11/22/040r-112299-idx.html?noredirect=on |work=The Washington Post|access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190818162525/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-11/22/040r-112299-idx.html?noredirect=on |archive-date=2019-08-18 |date=1999-11-22 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Sheleg |first1=Yair |title=Iran Releases Three Jews Jailed for Espionage |url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5090377 |work=Haaretz |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818162242/https://www.haaretz.com/1.5090377 |archive-date=2019-08-18 |date=2019-08-18 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Sarsalari |first1=Maria |title=ملاقات بستگان زندانیان یهودی متهم به جاسوسی با رئیس مجلس |url=http://www.bbc.com/persian/news/010905_ms-jews.shtml |publisher=BBC Persian |access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818163029/http://www.bbc.com/persian/news/010905_ms-jews.shtml |archive-date=2019-08-18 |date=2001-09-05 |language=fa |trans-title=Families of Jewish prisoners accused of spying met Speaker of Majlis |url-status=live }}{{cite web|title=روایتی از ناکامی‌های موساد در تقابل با سرویس‌های اطلاعاتی ایران |url=https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1393/03/02/378924 |publisher=Tasnim News Agency|access-date=2019-08-21 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190818163411/https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1393/03/02/378924/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%86%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86 |archive-date=2019-08-18|date=2015-05-23|language=fa |trans-title=A narrative of Mossad's failures against intelligence services of Iran.|url-status=live }} The arrests have later been described as discriminatory in the broader view of antisemitism in Iran.{{cite journal|last=Shahvar|first=Soli|date=2009|title=The Islamic Regime in Iran and Its Attitude towards the Jews: The Religious and Political Dimensions|journal=Immigrants & Minorities|volume=27|issue=1|pages=82–117|doi=10.1080/02619280902895835|issn=0261-9288}}