LONDON — A former soldier from Britain, who was found guilty of espionage for Iran, has been sentenced to over 14 years in prison following his remarkable three-day flight from a London jail. Daniel Khalife, aged 23, was convicted in November for breaching the Official Secrets Act and the Terrorism Act by disclosing confidential and classified information to Iranian authorities.
Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb passed down the sentence, informing Khalife that despite showing potential as an exemplary soldier, his repeated breaches of his service oath revealed him to be a potential threat to national security.
During the trial at Woolwich Crown Court, jurors dismissed Khalife’s claims that he was acting as a double agent for the UK. His case gained notoriety following his daring escape from Wandsworth Prison by hiding under a food delivery truck. He remained at large for three days until his capture while riding a bicycle near a canal in London.
Although Khalife admitted to his escape, he has continually denied the charges related to spying. His defense attorney suggested that Khalife’s actions were more akin to a cartoon caper than a legitimate spy plot, insisting that he merely shared vague and “ridiculously fake” documents that did not result in any tangible harm.
The prosecution countered this by asserting that Khalife had engaged in a manipulative endeavor, having already transmitted a significant amount of sensitive materials, including names of members of special forces, to Iranian intelligence.
Khalife claimed he was in contact with Iranian officials as part of a supposed ruse to act as a double agent for the UK, an idea he claimed to have been inspired by a television series. However, authorities argued that his actions represented a genuine threat to British national security, particularly in light of Iran’s history of orchestrating plots, including those aimed at assassinations.
British security services were unaware of Khalife’s Iranian connections until he approached MI6, the nation’s foreign intelligence service, offering to work for them. He allegedly contacted them anonymously, stating that his Iranian handlers had rewarded him with $2,000 placed in a bag meant for dog waste in a park in North London.
Khalife enlisted in the army at the age of 16 and served in the Royal Corps of Signals, which is integrated with various combat and intelligence units. However, he was informed that he could not join the intelligence service due to his Iranian heritage. At 17, he initiated contact with an individual associated with Iranian intelligence and began passing along sensitive information, eventually receiving NATO secret clearance during a joint exercise in Texas in early 2021.
The judge remarked that Khalife’s security violations while in the United States could have had serious diplomatic repercussions. His escape from the historic prison has sparked discussions about systemic issues within the UK’s overburdened correctional facilities. An investigation is currently underway to uncover how Khalife managed to escape and ascertain any assistance he may have received. Following the incident, two men have been apprehended on suspicion of aiding his escape.
