Iran has executed a man identified as Kourosh Keyvani following his conviction on charges of espionage for Israel, according to the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency.
The execution took place on Wednesday morning after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. Keyvani was accused of transferring images and information regarding sensitive locations to officers of Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency.
Reports indicate that Keyvani was arrested in Savojbolagh on the fourth day of the 12-day war in June. While Iranian authorities maintained that the case followed all necessary legal procedures, no independent evidence supporting these allegations has been made public.
Details of the arrest
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Keyvani was detained by the intelligence arm of the Revolutionary Guards. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly found in possession of cash, vehicles, and what was described as advanced communication and surveillance equipment.
Tasnim further claimed that Keyvani had been recruited through online contact and underwent training abroad before returning to Iran. However, these assertions have not been independently verified.
Keyvani is the latest individual to be executed in Iran on charges of spying for Israel, a trend that has become more prominent since the outbreak of the June war.
Rising execution rates
Iran maintains one of the highest execution rates globally and frequently applies the death penalty in cases involving national security and allegations of espionage. Following the recent conflict, international media and rights organisations have observed a sharp increase in both arrests and executions on such charges.
Data from the human rights group HRANA, cited by The Telegraph, suggests that the number of executions in Iran has risen significantly since the conflict began. This includes a notable rise in cases involving individuals accused of maintaining links to Israel.
Further reports from The Sunday Times indicate that dozens more individuals could potentially face the death penalty on similar charges as the judiciary continues its crackdown on alleged foreign intelligence operations.
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