Iran-born UK soldier denied bail

[Rasputin]

A soldier accused of passing secret information to a foreign power was a "proud British patriot", the Old Bailey has heard.
Corporal Daniel James, 44, from Brighton, was refused bail after being charged under the Official Secrets Act.

But the Iranian-born interpreter's barrister, Paul Raudnitz, said: "He is a British patriot. There is not in any sense a conflict of interest.

"He does not owe anything to any other country or party."

Mr James, who worked as a translator for General David Richards, is accused of communicating information that may be "directly or indirectly useful to the enemy" - widely believed to be Iran.

Gen Richards was the British commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Mr James, who came to Britain aged 14 and became a British citizen in 1986, is alleged to have committed the offence on 2 November last year.
Mr James, a Territorial Army soldier, appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Wandsworth prison for a preliminary hearing.

Mr Raudnitz said he had joined the TA in 1987 and added: "That was a deliberate act of patriotic duty towards the country that had taken him in. He is a British patriot.

"There is not in any sense a conflict of interest, There is no division of loyalties at all. He does not owe anything to any other country or party."

Mr Raudnitz said his client was a fluent Farsi speaker - the predominant language of Iran - and in 2005 the Army asked him if he would take a course to become fluent in Dari, a closely-related language which is widely spoken in Afghanistan.

Charges disputed

In March 2006 he was deployed to Afghanistan and he ended up working for Gen Richards. Mr Raudnitz said: "His role was to translate only for General Richards when he spoke openly to local people.

"What was discussed with local people was never of a sensitive nature. Primarily he translated speeches given publicly to local people.

"He was never party to any conversation that could be considered sensitive between General Richards and his colleagues. They were in English and he was not called upon."

Mr Raudnitz said he "vehemently disputed" the charges.

He also added that Mr James was not a fluent speaker of Pashtun, as had been widely reported.

The court was told the trial would take place in or before January next year.

The judge, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith, adjourned the case for a plea and case management hearing on 15 June.

Bail was refused and Mr James was remanded in custody.

[Rasputin]

Soldier to face secrets charge trial in 12 months

A British soldier accused of passing secrets to Iran will stand trial in around a year's time, the Old Bailey was told today.
Corporal Daniel James, who is accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act, was an interpreter for General David Richards, the British commander of 30,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan.

Cpl James, a fluent Pashtun speaker whose mother is Iranian, appeared at the court via video link from Wandsworth prison and listened as lawyers went through preliminary matters during an hour-long public hearing.


The 44-year-old, who became a British citizen in 1986, spoke only to confirm his name and say that he could hear the proceedings.
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said the Territorial Army corporal, from Brighton, West Sussex, would appear at the court to enter a plea on June 15. He said he hoped a trial, which could last three months, would take place by January next year at the latest.

Journalists and members of the public then left the court and it convened in camera to consider a bail application and other matters that could be sensitive to national security.

Applying for bail, the corporal's barrister, Paul Raudnitz, told the judge that his client's decision to join the army had been "a deliberate act of patriotic duty towards the country that had taken him in".

"He is a patriot," he said. "He has in no remote sense any competing interest or commitment to any other country or party."

Cpl James is accused of committing an offence against the Official Secrets Act on November 2 last year.

The charge says that, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety of the state, he "communicated to another person information calculated to be, or that might be, or intended to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy".

He is the first person to be charged with spying under the Act since the MI5 officer Michael Bettany was jailed for 23 years in 1984 for passing secrets to the Soviet embassy in London.

[Rasputin]

Iranian-born British Corporal Daniel James, 44, was arrested last week and accused of spying for Iran while working as an interpreter and aide for one of Britain's most senior Army officers while working in Afghanistan.

[Rasputin]

Iranian 'spy': I refuse to recognise this court

An Army interpreter accused of spying for Iran today claimed the Old Bailey had no authority to try him, as he denied two charges under the Official Secrets Act.

Daniel James, 44, who was born in Iran, is accused of communicating information "useful to an enemy" while working for General David Richards, British commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Appearing at the Old Bailey over video-link today he looked angry and restless, often shaking his head.

"I am a serving soldier. I wish to be court martialled by the Army. I do not recognise this court. I am an innocent man," he said at one point.

His outburst came after he answered "definitely not guilty" to two charges under the Official Secrets Act.

The Territorial Army soldier, who became a British citizen in 1986, is alleged to have communicated information useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety of the state, in November last year.

The second Official Secrets Act charge alleges he collected the information on a USB computer device.

He also faces a third charge of misconduct in public office in offering information to a representative of a foreign power.

James, who speaks Farsi and Dari, was remanded in custody to face trial on Feb 5 next year. He is currently being held at Woodhill prison.

He was a member of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Territorial Army unit for 17 years, but did not start work as an interpreter in Afghanistan until March 2006.