Iran carried out the execution of a man accused of spying for Israel on Wednesday, a move that activists denounced as the result of a forced confession obtained under torture.
The country’s judiciary, through the Mizan news agency, identified the executed individual as Babak Shahbazi. Officials alleged that he had gathered and sold classified information on Iranian data centers and security facilities to Israeli operatives.
Human rights groups challenged this account, saying Shahbazi had first been detained after sending a message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which he offered assistance. According to the Associated Press, this was cited as evidence against him because Iran has supplied drones to Russia, which Moscow has used extensively in its war on Ukraine. Iran Human Rights stated that authorities treated Shahbazi’s message to Zelensky as proof of espionage, even alleging that Israel had trained him to use basic computer programs such as Microsoft Word. The organization had earlier warned that his execution was imminent. Activists also described him as someone who had volunteered to fight for Ukraine.
Iran gave no official details about how the execution was carried out, although most death sentences in the country are implemented by hanging. Shahbazi’s death marked the latest in a growing number of executions for espionage since Iran’s 12-day conflict with Israel earlier this year. In that period, eight individuals accused of spying were put to death. Activists fear this signals the start of a broader wave of executions.
The conflict itself was marked by heavy losses. Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian targets that killed roughly 1,100 people, including numerous senior military commanders. Tehran retaliated with missile attacks against Israel, fueling one of the most dangerous escalations in the region in years.
Shahbazi’s execution followed earlier incidents in June, when three men convicted of working with Mossad were put to death. According to the judiciary, they had been accused of smuggling equipment used in an assassination and of collaborating with Israeli intelligence. Those executions came just one day after former US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire, which temporarily eased fears of an expanding regional war.
The Iran-Israel confrontation began on June 13, when an Israeli strike killed several senior Iranian military and nuclear officials, including the predecessor of intelligence chief Mousavi. The attack rattled global markets and prompted warnings of wider escalation. In addition to striking nuclear and military facilities, Israel’s campaign hit civilian neighborhoods in Tehran and other cities, intensifying public outrage. Trump later declared on June 24 through Truth Social that both nations had agreed to a truce.
Iran Human Rights reported that around 300 people accused of spying were executed in the months leading up to June. Among them was Majid Mosayebi, executed on June 22, who had been accused of providing sensitive information to Mossad.
