A former British soldier who betrayed his country by spying for Iran was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

        Daniel Kahlife, now 25,  was once a soldier in the British Army, but his life took a dangerous turn. He was convicted for sharing confidential and secret information. His actions, according to the judge, showed he was immature.

        Why did Daniel Khalife do it? The judge said he broke his promise to serve his country.  The jury at Woolwich Crown Court didn't believe his claim.  Daniel insisted he was trying to be a double agent for the UK.

        The public first took notice of his case when he escaped from Wandsworth Prison. He snuck out hiding on the bottom of a food delivery vehicle. His escape was a big deal, but it was short lived. Daniel was caught by police just three days later. He was arrested while riding a bicycle by a canal.

        The judge made it clear that Khalife should have known better. He had the potential to be a top-notch soldier, but he chose a different path.  The lawyer for Daniel Khalife said that his client had only shared information that was not very accurate and included documents that were obviously fake.  So, it caused no real harm.  The lawyer said that Khalife’s actions were not very dangerous or clever.  They were more like a silly mistake than a real spy operation.

        But the prosecutors had a different view.  They said that Khalife was playing a risky game.  They said he was pretending to be a spy and claimed he was trying to work for Britain as a double agent.

        Daniel Khalife joined the army at 16 and was assigned to the Royal Corps of Signals. He was not allowed to join the intelligence service because his mother was from Iran.

        Khalife first made contact with Iran at age 17.  He got secret security clearance when he was in Texas.  Authorities said he passed information to Iran when he was deployed.   He also made mistakes while on US soil, which could have caused problems between the UK and the US.

        Daniel’s escape from the prison highlighted problems with the UK’s old and crowded prison system.  Many people are wondering how he was able to escape and if others helped him.  Two people have been arrested for helping him after the escape.

The Soldier Who Spied for Iran and Escaped Prisons

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