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Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel, activists claim ‘torture’
Activists said the man was detained for writing to Ukrainian President Zelensky offering help, while Iran has supplied drones used by Russia in Ukraine.
Iran executed a man accused of spying for Israel on Wednesday, with activists claiming he was “tortured” into making a false confession.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency named the executed individual as Babak Shahbazi, alleging “he collected and sold sensitive data on Iranian data centres and security sites to Israeli handlers”.
Activists, however, said Shahbazi was detained after writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offering his assistance, according to the Associated Press. Iran has supplied drones to Russia, which Moscow has used in attacks on Ukraine.
"Babak’s message to President Zelensky offering to help in the war against Russia was cited as evidence of espionage for Israel, who they claim taught him to use Microsoft Word," said Iran Human Rights, which had warned that Shahbazi faced execution. Iran has not acknowledged this claim.
Activists also described Shahbazi as volunteering to fight for Ukraine.
Iran did not provide details of the execution method, though condemned prisoners are typically hanged. Since the 12-day conflict with Israel, Iran has hanged eight people for espionage, raising fears among activists of a possible wave of executions. The conflict has seen Israel conduct airstrikes against Iran, killing around 1,100 people, including many military commanders, with Iran responding through missile barrages targeting Israel.
Recent executions in Iran over ‘spying’
Earlier in June, Iran executed three men accused of spying for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, the state news agency reported. According to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, the three were convicted of collaborating with Mossad and smuggling equipment used in an assassination.
The executions came a day after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, with both nations appearing to agree to the truce. The Iran-Israel conflict began on June 13 with an Israeli strike that killed several senior Iranian military and nuclear officials, including the predecessor of Mousavi — a move that rattled global markets and raised fears of wider regional escalation.
In addition to military and nuclear targets, the Israeli strikes hit civilian areas in Tehran and other cities. On June 24, Trump said on Truth Social that the two regional adversaries had agreed to a truce.
According to Iran Human Rights, Iran has executed around 300 people accused of spying in the months leading up to June. This includes Majid Mosayebi, who was charged with providing “sensitive information” to Mossad and executed on June 22.
