Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel, activists claim ‘torture’

Iran executed a man accused of spying for Israel on Wednesday, with activists claiming he was “tortured” into making a false confession.

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.

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.

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.