Iran executes man it says spied for Israel, activists say false confession

Iranian judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reports Babak Shahbazi relayed information about high-security Iranian sites to Israeli handlers.

Iran has executed a man it alleges spied for Israel as the country continues its push to root out those it says collaborated with Israel during Iran’s recent 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States, according to a report from state media.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency on Wednesday identified the executed man as Babak Shahbazi, who it claimed had gathered and sold sensitive information about Iranian data centres and security installations to Israeli handlers.

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That claim is disputed by activists, who say he was tortured into making a false confession. They say Shahbazi was arrested for writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, offering his help.

Iran has supplied Russia with drones that Moscow has used to attack Ukraine.

The group Iran Human Rights had warned Shahbazi could be executed.

“Babak’s message to President Zelenskyy offering to help in the war against Russia was used as an example of espionage for Israel, who they claim taught Babak to use Microsoft Word,” the group said, according to The Associated Press news agency. Iran did not acknowledge that claim.

Activists had described Shahbazi as offering to fight for Ukraine.

State media said Shahbazi had worked alongside Esmaeil Fekri, another convict executed in June for spying for Israel since early 2022.

The defendant’s lawyer had requested an appeal to the Supreme Court, which rejected the request.

Iran did not elaborate on how it executed Shahbazi, though condemned prisoners typically are hanged.

Entangled in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, and a full-blown conflict this June, Iran has put to death many individuals it accuses of having links with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and facilitating its operations in the country.

Wednesday’s execution marks the ninth person that Iran has hanged for espionage since its 12-day conflict with Israel and the US, prompting fears from activists that the government could conduct a wave of executions.

Israel’s offensive in June involved 12 days of air attacks, including several that targeted Iran’s top generals and nuclear scientists, as well as civilians in residential areas, for which Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles and drones. The US also carried out extensive strikes, on Israel’s behalf, on Iranian nuclear sites during the conflict.

Iran has, since the war, pledged swift trials for people arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.