Baltimore, MD – September 16, 2026 – The Central District Court in Lod sentenced Alexander Granovsky of Petah Tikva to 13.5 years in prison after he was convicted of security offenses stemming from ongoing contact with an Iranian agent and carrying out missions on the agent’s behalf.
Granovsky pleaded guilty to contacting a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy, multiple counts of defacing property, and arson. The sentence was imposed as part of an agreement between the parties, and he was also given a suspended prison sentence.
According to the indictment, Granovsky communicated with the Iranian agent through Telegram while Israel was engaged in a multi-front war, including against Iran. At the agent’s direction, he documented facilities at power stations and the neighborhood where MK Benny Gantz lives and sent the videos to the agent.
Granovsky was also convicted of setting fire to nine vehicles and spray-painting graffiti at the agent’s direction. In addition, he was instructed to destroy IDF uniforms and served as an intermediary for the agent in an attempt to find people with criminal records to carry out violent acts.
While carrying out the missions, Granovsky followed security instructions intended to conceal his identity and prevent his activities from being discovered. According to the indictment, he knew the agent was acting on behalf of an entity hostile to Israel and understood the agent’s objectives, but nevertheless continued to cooperate.
The indictment also stated that Granovsky proposed missions on his own initiative and repeatedly urged the agent to give him additional and more significant assignments. In return for the missions he carried out, he received thousands of dollars from the agent through a digital wallet.
The State Attorney’s Office said the sentence was the harshest imposed to date in a series of indictments involving defendants who established contact with Iranian agents through social media and carried out tasks for them.
In its ruling, the court said the 13.5-year sentence reflects, among other considerations, the need for general deterrence. The court stated that the sentence was intended to make clear that those who act on behalf of a hostile entity for financial gain can face lengthy and severe prison terms.
