By Muhammad Mamman
Iran has executed a man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the judiciary announced on Wednesday.
According to Mizan Online, the judiciary’s news outlet, Babak Shahbazi was hanged after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. He was found guilty of the capital offences of “corruption on earth” and “waging war against God.”
Authorities said Shahbazi, who worked on industrial cooling systems for firms linked to Iran’s military, security and telecommunications sectors, used his access to pass sensitive information to Mossad in exchange for money and residency abroad.
The execution comes amid heightened tensions with Israel following the June conflict, during which Tehran vowed swift punishment for collaborators. In August, Iran executed Roozbeh Vadi, a nuclear sector employee, for allegedly leaking information on scientists and facilities to Israel.
Iran’s intelligence ministry recently claimed to have arrested 20 alleged Mossad operatives across several provinces.
Rights groups say Iran is the world’s second-highest executioner after China, with Amnesty International regularly criticising its use of the death penalty.
