Iran Executes Two Men Accused of Spying for Israel

Iran executed Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat on Monday after the Supreme Court upheld death sentences for alleged spying and intelligence cooperation with Israel, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported, according to Iran International.

Mizan said the two men transmitted “coordinates, images and information about Iranian military and security sites to officers from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and affiliated communication channels” during what it described as the 12-day and 40-day wars. The report said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ intelligence organization identified and arrested them, but did not say when, where or how they were detained.

The judiciary outlet said Behzad maintained direct contact with the administrator of a Telegram channel linked to Israel and supported the US and Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic. Mizan cited Behzad’s confessions as evidence; rights groups have for years documented Iranian authorities extracting confessions under coercion, torture or harsh detention conditions.

Mizan said Safvat photographed Iranian air defense systems from rooftops during the 12-day war and sent the images through channels linked to Israel. It said some locations he photographed were later bombed, and alleged without providing evidence that he had direct contact with Mossad in some cases and sent messages to Iran International. Mizan said the court relied on “explicit confessions, technical evidence, recovered messages and other evidence.”

Iran has intensified arrests, prosecutions and executions in recent months, with authorities sentencing or executing dozens of people on charges including espionage, protest involvement and membership of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, according to rights groups and activists. In a Saturday statement, Defenders of Children’s Rights in Iran and the Center for Justice for Children warned that 18-year-old Shervin Bagherian from Isfahan could soon be executed, days after authorities executed 20-year-old Arvin Kheirkhah in the same case.