Daniel Khalife: Former British soldier found guilty of spying for Iran

Daniel Khalife, a former soldier in the British army, has been convicted of espionage for Iran.

Khalife, who broke free from prison while he was waiting for his trial, obtained information and shared it with Tehran. He also compiled a list of names of special forces soldiers. However, he was acquitted of the accusation of staging a bomb scare at his military base.

The 23-year-old confessed during his trial at Woolwich Crown Court that he escaped from Wandsworth prison in London in September 2023 by attaching himself to the bottom of a food delivery truck.

Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb informed the court at Woolwich Crown Court that Khalife is set to receive "a lengthy prison term" when he is sentenced in the beginning of next year.

Khalife, who violated the Official Secrets Act and the Terrorism Act, displayed no feelings as the verdicts were announced.

Prosecutors accused Khalife of engaging in a "deceptive scheme" when he reached out to an individual associated with Iranian intelligence shortly after enlisting in the army in September 2018. He later informed MI6 that he intended to act as a double agent.

The court was informed that he gathered confidential information that could be quite harmful if it fell into the wrong hands.

Khalife reached out to someone associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) through Facebook.

The UK will likely never find out the specific details of the highly sensitive information that Khalife transmitted to Iran.

He established connections with contacts in Iran and, at one time, was tasked with retrieving $2,000 (£1,500) that was hidden in a dog waste bag in a park in north London.

Bethan David, who leads the counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service, stated that Khalife, as a soldier, was given the responsibility and trust to safeguard the nation's security.

"However, Daniel Khalife exploited his job for his own reasons, compromising national security in the process."

She mentioned that his sharing of information "might have put military personnel in danger, posed a risk to their lives, and jeopardized the safety and security of the United Kingdom."

While he was serving in the military, Khalife collected the names of 15 active-duty soldiers, some of whom were part of the special forces.

Prosecutors think he forwarded the list to Iran before erasing all traces of it.

He refuted ever having sent the document and asserted that the information he shared was largely false. Nevertheless, it appears he did send at least two confidential documents—one related to drones and another concerning "Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance."

The UK will never find out what the most delicate information Khalife shared, as many of the messages he sent to his contacts on the encrypted app Telegram have been erased.

His attorney, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, described the double agent scheme as "hopeless" and likened it more to "Scooby-Doo" than to "007."

Khalife became the focus of a widely publicized search after escaping from prison. He was apprehended 75 hours later when authorities spotted him riding a bike along a canal path. Before his capture, he tried to reach out to the Iranians by sending a message on Telegram that simply read: "I wait."

Check out the video: Surveillance footage captures Daniel Khalife's escape.

He managed to escape while awaiting trial for violations related to the Official Secrets Act and the Terrorism Act, as well as for staging a bomb hoax.

He was arrested after he escaped from his military base, Beacon Barracks in Stafford, in January 2023, upon realizing that he was likely to be charged with leaking classified information.

While on trial, the jury learned that a fake bomb, consisting of three nitrous oxide canisters taped together, was discovered on his desk after he did not show up for work.

Authorities who arrived at the location thought the device was a hoax. Nevertheless, a bomb squad was summoned, resulting in the evacuation of five apartment buildings.

Following his arrest, Khalife informed the police that he had intended to present himself to UK security services, claiming he had reached out to MI6 as early as 2019 via email.

In a statement following the ruling, Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, remarked, "The danger to the UK from nations like Iran is quite significant. Thus, it's incredibly irresponsible and hazardous for a soldier to exchange sensitive military data and information with them."

Khalife's getaway from Wandsworth raised significant concerns regarding the prison's security and staffing levels. In response, 40 inmates were moved to different facilities while an inquiry into the escape was conducted.

Damien Hinds, who previously served as the prisons minister, mentioned that about 40% of the prison officers were absent from their shifts at Wandsworth on the day Khalife escaped. However, the Ministry of Justice maintained that the facility was properly staffed.

A representative for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that Khalife's situation is an "isolated incident," but emphasized that these issues are treated with utmost seriousness. He added that this is part of the reason why the government remains committed to taking firm measures and holding the Iranian regime responsible for its actions.