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.
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.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
