•Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran today hanged a man convicted of spying for its arch enemy Israel, the judiciary said, the latest such execution on espionage charges in a trend that has troubled rights groups.
Ali Ardestani had been convicted of sharing information with Israel’s spy agency Mossad and receiving money in the form of cryptocurrency in exchange, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency said.
The Islamic republic has stepped up executions on these charges after its 12-day war in June with Israel.
It resulted in significant damage to nuclear and ballistic facilities and the killing of several key top military and security officials in targeted strikes based on intelligence.
The death sentence against Ardestani, “like many other executions in Iran, was issued without a fair trial and based on forced confessions, and therefore lacks any legal legitimacy,” said the director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group (IHR), Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam.
He said that 12 people had now been executed on charges of spying for Israel since the June war broke out.
But this is the first such execution on charges of spying for Mossad since a wave of protests sparked by anger over the rising cost of living started in Iran on December 28.
“The Islamic Republic’s aim in carrying out executions on charges such as espionage, particularly amid ongoing protests, is solely to instill fear among the population,” said Amiry Moghaddam.
Iran is the world’s most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups. Last year it hanged at least 1,500 people, according to IHR’s figures.
Since the war, Iran has promised swift trials for those arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
Iran, which does not recognise Israel, has long accused it of conducting sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities and assassinating its scientists.
Mizan said Ardestani had provided Mossad with images and photos of specific locations as well as information on targets.
However, rights groups have long expressed concern that innocent people are executed on such charges while the Israeli agents carrying out the fieldwork remain undetected.
Mossad, through its Persian language X account, earlier this week in a statement quoted by Israeli army radio, issued a direct call urging Iranians to press on with protests, saying it was supporting them “on the ground”.
