Indictment: Ashkelon couple collected intelligence for Iran - even after realizing who was operating them
The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against a couple from Ashkelon, Tamirlan Amchukov (26) and Alina Kushnirenko (24), accused of collecting intelligence for Iran and transmitting it to an operator via Telegram in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. The two operated between April and July 2026, and photographed, among other things, the grave of Ze'ev Jabotinsky on Mount Herzl. They admitted in interrogation that they understood they were working for Iran, but continued. The prosecution requests that they remain in custody until the end of proceedings.
The State Prosecutor's Office today (Thursday) filed an indictment with the Tel Aviv District Court against Tamirlan Amchukov (26) and Alina Kushnirenko (24), a couple from Ashkelon, accused of espionage for Iran. According to the indictment, the two collected information about security personnel, civilian and military infrastructure, and transmitted it to an Iranian operator via Telegram, in exchange for payments in cryptocurrencies. The affair began when a Telegram profile named "Aslan" contacted Amchukov, first with an offer to transfer money for a commission, and later with offers for surveillance and tracking missions. The couple operated between April and July 2026, and photographed, among other things, the grave of Ze'ev Jabotinsky on Mount Herzl a week before a memorial ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During their interrogation, the two admitted to the acts, initially claiming they did not know they were working for Iran, but later admitted they understood this already during a mission in Eilat, and nevertheless continued. The prosecution requests that they remain in custody until the end of proceedings, due to high danger and flight risk, since they are foreign nationals.