In the latest of such recent killings, Iran has executed Babak Shahbazi, who was convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad. The execution comes at a time when tensions between Iran and Israel are continuing to spiral amidst their recent war with one another. Shahbazi is accused of collecting sensitive, detailed information on Iranian locations with high security. He is suspected of having sold this information—including location specifics of data centers and security installations—to Israeli handlers.
The Iranian judiciary’s official news agency, Mizan, reported Shahbazi’s name as that of the executed person. In it, he promised to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, and follows an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In response to his activism, authorities arrested him. Iranian authorities suggested that this exchange of messages was proof of spying on behalf of Israel.
Activists have challenged these claims, maintaining that Shahbazi was forced to make a bogus confession by torture. Despite these claims, Iranian officials have neither admitted to using torture nor denied any torture allegations in the course of the investigation or trial process.
“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 Associated Press news agency via Iran Human Rights.
Shahbazi’s execution is news worthy of treating as a landmark moment. It marks the ninth time Iran has executed someone for espionage since its 12-day war with Israel and the United States. This trend is indicative of Iran’s long-held policy of trying quickly through show trials anyone suspected of or accused of working with Israeli intelligence, aka the Mossad.
Iran has drawn widespread condemnation for the treatment of those accused of espionage. The non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights had reported in advance that Shahbazi’s execution was expected. The Iranian government cracks down hard on any real or perceived challenge to national security. To this end, it often conducts public, high-profile executions of defectors accused of being spies.
In recent months, Iran has faced international condemnation over its provision of drones to Russia. These drones have served as the basis for deadly kamikaze-attack swarms launched against Ukraine. In reaction to this progress, the United States opened up a broad, targeted air campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities. This first step has only escalated tensions across the region.
Condemned prisoners in Iran almost always receive hanging as their method of execution. Shahbazi’s case further underscores the dire implications of espionage allegations in Iran. It further tabulates the broader impact to the cause célèbre of Russia’s blood-soaked invasion.
