Iran has hanged a man identified by state media as Babak Shahbazi, convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad, a claim challenged by activists who say he was tortured into a false confession.
Iranian authorities announced on Wednesday that they have executed Babak Shahbazi, who was convicted of espionage on behalf of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The judiciary said Shahbazi sold sensitive information about security sites and data centers to Israeli handlers.
Rights groups, however, dispute the charges and assert that Shahbazi was tortured into confessing. According to activist reports, one trigger for his arrest may have been a letter he wrote to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering to fight in Ukraine.
Iran has not publicly detailed the manner of execution, but hanging is the usual method for those convicted of espionage. The case comes amid growing concern from human rights organisations about Iran’s use of the death penalty in espionage cases, especially in contexts where allegations of coerced confession and unfair trial are raised.