Spy convict Payam Kia withdraws his appeal

Payam Kia was sentenced to nine years and ten months in prison – but appealed the sentence.
Now he withdraws the appeal, his lawyer states.

Payam Kia, the younger of the two spy brothers who were sentenced to nine years and ten months in prison in the District Court, is withdrawing his appeal against the sentence to the Court of Appeal.

Svea Hovrätt was to hand down its verdict this afternoon after Payam Kia and the older brother Peyman Kia appealed.

Payam Kia now accepts the district court verdict so as not to risk a harsher sentence, according to the lawyer. He still maintains that he is innocent.

1:45

GW on the spy brothers: “They have been paid so it does not seem to be about ideological reasons”

The older brother was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The judgment in the Court of Appeal is postponed until Thursday, May 25.

The brothers are suspected of having sold a large amount of classified documents to the Russian military intelligence service.

1:14

Payam Kia admits involvement for the first time: “But admits no crime of espionage”

The text is updated.

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