Criminal10/4/2026

Three Years in Prison for Contact With an Iranian Agent and Carrying Out Paid Tasks

The Beersheba District Court sentenced Doron Buchbutza, 30, to three years in prison for contact with a foreign agent. The sentence was imposed as part of a plea agreement in which the prosecution agreed to seek a sentence not exceeding five years in prison.

Key facts

•Court: Beersheba District Court
•Convicted person: Doron Buchbutza, 30
•Sentence: 3 years in prison
•Offense: Contact with a foreign agent
•Payment: Cryptocurrency worth 3,250 shekels
•Arrest: February 2025

Who Was Involved in the Case

Doron Buchbutza is a Beersheba resident, an electrical and electronics technician, and a former courthouse security guard. The police and the Shin Bet arrested him in February 2025 on suspicion of security offenses related to contacts with representatives of Iranian intelligence. The indictment was filed about a month after his arrest.

The Contact and Payment

According to the indictment, Buchbutza initiated the contact himself through Telegram, approaching profiles that displayed an image of the Iranian flag. In December 2024, he wrote to an agent that he was Israeli and wanted to work with him; among the reasons he cited were dissatisfaction with the government and financial difficulties. At the agent’s direction, he opened a digital wallet to which cryptocurrency worth 3,250 shekels was transferred.

What Tasks He Carried Out

A ynet report stated that the tasks included taking photographs and videos, distributing publicity for Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and publishing posts in support of Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or. Buchbutza also claimed that he had access to a classified facility of the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona. The prosecution emphasized that he understood he was communicating with an Iranian handler and that his actions could harm state security.

Why the Court Imposed a Prison Sentence

The Probation Service recommended a more lenient sentence, noting that imprisonment could worsen Buchbutza’s mental condition and severely damage his self-image as a law-abiding citizen. Judge Dina Cohen sentenced him to three years in prison and noted that adopting the Probation Service’s recommendation would send too weak a message. The sentence was handed down after he was convicted of contact with a foreign agent.

What this means for you

Contact with a representative of foreign intelligence can lead to actual imprisonment even when the tasks appear to involve social media posts or the ordinary taking of photographs and videos. Payment in digital currency and the absence of information in the article about the actual transfer of secret information did not negate criminal liability for the contact with a foreign agent itself.

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Case analysis based on court rulings