Iran executes man convicted of selling information to Israel

Tehran says Babak Shahbazi was Mossad spy, but activists say he had offered to fight for Ukraine

Babak Shahbazi. Iran has put to death many individuals it accuses of helping Israel's Mossad intelligence service. Photo: Amnesty International

Iran has hanged a man convicted of spying for Israel, state media said on Wednesday, the latest in a rising number of executions this year after the 12-day war between the countries.

The judiciary's Mizan news outlet identified the man as Babak Shahbazi, claiming he sold information about Iranian data centres and security installations to Israeli handlers.

Activists have said Mr Shahbazi was detained for writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering to fight in the Ukrainian military. Iran has backed Russia's war in Ukraine by supplying drones to Moscow.

The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said Mr Shahbazi's letter to Mr Zelenskyy “was used as an example of espionage for Israel”.

Entangled in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, Iran has put to death many individuals it accuses of helping Israel's Mossad intelligence service.

The number of executions has risen this year, with at least nine death sentences carried out in recent months.

Earlier this year Israel waged an aerial war with Iran, killing about 1,100 people including many military commanders. Iran responded by launching missile barrages against Israel.

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State media said Mr Shahbazi had worked alongside Esmaeil Fekri, another man executed in June who was accused of spying for Israel.

Mr Shahbazi was accused of using his position as a contractor installing cooling devices to collect information from sensitive locations such as server rooms as well as centres linked to the military and security apparatus.

“He decided to sell information to the Mossad service in exchange for money and residence in a foreign country,” the Mizan report said, claiming he sought $120 million in cash or digital currency for this work.

“Shahbazi states that he has access cards to some sensitive and important complexes, that his car is not inspected, and that he can take a bomb into the desired centres and Mossad will detonate it after a few years,” Mizan added.

An appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected, leading to Mr Shahbazi's execution on Tuesday, Mizan said.

Iran carried out executions at “an alarming rate” in 2024, the UN has said, with at least 975 people killed.