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US journalist sentenced to 2 years for acting as foreign agent; Iranian photojournalist gets 15 years in separate case

Two separate cases reported on September 2, 2026, involve sentences for Thomas Weir Pauken II in the US and Yalda Moaiery in Iran.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 29, 2026, 10:25 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterUpdated Sep 2, 2026, 9:22 p.m. ET
On September 2, 2026, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, was to . The sentence was imposed after Pauken pleaded guilty to charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. The government said Pauken worked at the direction of people he knew worked for China's government, including a person identified as 'Cathy', and received at least $100,000 for his work, and was asked to recruit people to provide classified information, as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press. The FBI and Customs and Border Protection were involved in the investigation, according to the same report. Separately, Daily Kos reported that an Iranian court photojournalist Yalda Moaiery in absentia to on charges of "activities in the interests of the Zionist regime and the United States." The report did not indicate whether the sentence is final or subject to appeal. The two reports describe different defendants and different legal proceedings; the Winnipeg Free Press report concerns Pauken's case in the United States, while Daily Kos reports on Moaiery's case in Iran. The cause of the sentencing in each case has not been determined beyond the charges reported.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 29, 2026, 10:52 a.m. ET

    Iranian Photojournalist Yalda Moaiery Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to 15 Years

    Yalda Moaiery, an Iranian photojournalist, has pleaded guilty to charges of "activities in the interests of the Zionist regime and the United States," according to a report by Daily Kos. She was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison.

    The sentence was imposed by the Iranian government. The specific details of the plea and what remains to be decided have not been disclosed.

  2. Aug 29, 2026, 10:39 a.m. ET

    Iranian Photojournalist Yalda Moaiery Sentenced in Absentia to 15 Years

    An Iranian court has sentenced photojournalist Yalda Moaiery in absentia to 15 years in prison, according to a report by Daily Kos. The sentence was imposed for "activities in the interests of the Zionist regime and the United States," the outlet reported.

    The proceeding was conducted in absentia, meaning Moaiery was not present. The report did not specify whether an appeal is available or what the next steps in the legal process will be.

  3. Aug 29, 2026, 10:25 a.m. ETFirst report

    Iranian Photojournalist Sentenced in Absentia to 15 Years

    The Iranian government has sentenced photojournalist Yalda Moaiery in absentia to 15 years in prison, according to a report by Daily Kos. The sentence was imposed for "activities in the interests of the Zionist regime and the United States," as reported by the outlet.

    The proceeding was conducted in absentia, meaning Moaiery was not present. The report does not specify the date of the sentencing or any further details about the case.

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Revision history

  1. Version 33 Sept 2026, 01:22current

    Updated to reflect the September 2, 2026 publication date and clarify the separate nature of the two cases.

  2. Version 22 Sept 2026, 23:15

    Clarified that the two reports concern separate defendants and proceedings; added attribution for conflicting sentence lengths and charges.

  3. Version 129 Aug 2026, 14:39current

    First published.

  4. Version 129 Aug 2026, 14:25current

    First published.

  5. Version 129 Aug 2026, 14:52current

    First published.

  6. Version 129 Aug 2026, 14:29

    First published.

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