On September 17, 2025, Iran executed a man identified as Babak Shahbazi, after a court found him guilty of espionage for Israel. The ruling, by Iranian state media via the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, claims Shahbazi collected and sold sensitive information from data centres, server rooms, and military and security facilities to Israeli handlers in exchange for money and a visa or residency in a foreign country.
According to these reports, Shahbazi worked as a contractor installing industrial cooling systems with companies tied to Iran’s telecommunications, security, and military sectors – roles that allegedly provided him access to highly guarded sites. His death sentence was confirmed by Iran’s Supreme Court, and the judicial system said all legal processes were observed.
However, human rights organizations and activists have challenged the state’s version of events. They contend that Shahbazi was tortured into making a false confession. According to groups such as Iran Human Rights, the charges may have been triggered after Shahbazi wrote a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, offering to help in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. They say this letter was retroactively framed by authorities as evidence of espionage for Israel – including claims that Mossad taught him how to use Microsoft Word, which activists describe as absurd and part of what they call a coerced, politicised case.
The execution is part of a broader pattern: since the 12-day conflict with Israel earlier this year, Iran has reportedly carried out at least nine executions of people convicted of spying for Israel. Human rights groups warn that many of these cases involve weak or opaque evidence, limited legal representation, and allegations of torture or forced confession.
Iran has not publicly addressed many of the activists’ claims such as torture or the motivations behind the letter to Zelenskyy. The country typically executes those convicted of “major security offences” by hanging, though specific details of Shahbazi’s execution — such as the timing, precise location, or method — were not disclosed in full.
This case has drawn criticism from international human rights organizations, which decry what they say is a trend of using espionage accusations to suppress dissent and silence critics, especially in a moment of economic crisis, political unrest, and heightened regional tensions. Observers say Tehran is using such cases to bolster internal security and respond forcefully to external pressures.
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