Tehran/Dubai – Iran’s judiciary announced on Wednesday the execution of a man accused of spying for Israel, a claim that is being disputed by human rights activists who allege he was tortured into making a false confession. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the executed individual as Babak Shahbazi, stating he had “collected and sold sensitive data on Iranian data centers and security sites to Israeli handlers.”
However, activist groups such as Iran Human Rights claim Shahbazi was arrested and convicted for writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he offered to assist in the war against Russia. Iran has provided Russia with drones for its military operations in Ukraine. According to Iran Human Rights, the letter was presented as evidence of espionage, with prosecutors bizarrely claiming Israel had taught him to use Microsoft Word.
The execution of Shahbazi marks the ninth person Iran has hanged for espionage since a brief, 12-day conflict with Israel in June. The conflict, which involved a series of airstrikes by Israel and retaliatory missile barrages from Iran, has raised concerns among human rights organizations about a potential surge in executions.
Activists had previously warned that Shahbazi was at imminent risk of execution, stating that his case was built on a confession obtained under torture and that he was denied a fair trial. They also note that Shahbazi’s death sentence was upheld by a notoriously hardline judge, Abolghasem Salavati, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for presiding over politically motivated trials.
The execution of Shahbazi is the latest in a series of similar cases this year. In June, Iran executed three other men accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Human rights groups have reported that Iran has executed hundreds of people this year alone, often for politically motivated charges.