In the shadow of the Israel-Iran war, at least six men were hanged for espionage charges in June. In the first six months of 2025, nine espionage executions were announced by official sources.
At least 612 people were executed between January-June 2025, an increase of 119% compared to the same period in 2024 when 279 executions were recorded.
Referring to the execution crisis in Iran, Iran Human Rights calls on the people of Iran and international community to help stop the executions by protesting and responding appropriately.
IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated: “The Islamic Republic is at its weakest point in its history, and in order to survive, it needs to carry out more executions to intimidate what it sees as its greatest threat: the Iranian people.” He added: “With popular protests against executions and pressure from the international community, widespread executions can be prevented. The human rights of the Iranian people, and the issue of the death penalty in particular, must be at the forefront of any dialogue between the Islamic Republic and the international community.”
June 2025 Executions at a Glance:
- At least 98 people were executed
- Of those, 19 executions (19%) were announced by official sources
- 46 of the executions (47%) were for drug-related offences
- 32 people (33%) were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder
- 17 people were on death row for the security-related charges of moharebeh (enmity against god), efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) and baghy (armed rebellion)
- Of the 17 security-related executions, 6 were accused of espionage for Israel
- 3 people were sentenced to death for rape charges
- One woman was executed
- 10 Baluch, 5 Kurdish and an Arab minority were amongst those executed
- 8 Afghan nationals were executed
- At least 21 people were executed during the 12 days of war between Israel and Iran and 11 executions have been recorded since the end of the war
At least 612 people were executed in the first six months of 2025. Of those, 293 were on death row for drug-related offences, 268 were sentenced to qisas for murder, 33 were sentenced to death on security-related charges and 19 were on death row for rape. 47 of the recorded executions were announced by official sources. 17 women, 40 Afghan nationals, an Iraqi national and a man only referred to as a “foreign national” were amongst those executed. Nine of those executed for security-related charges were accused of espionage for Israel. Two of the executions were carried out in public spaces.
Executed for Espionage for Israel
In the shadow of the tensions between Israel and Iran, Islamic Republic authorities began executing defendants accused of espionage for Israel before the war even began.
Mohsen Langarneshin was hanged on 30 April and Pedram Madani, on 28 May. On the first day of Israel’s attacks on Iran, IHRNGO issued a statement warning of the imminent executions of espionage defendants and published a list of ten defendants at risk.
Since the start of the 12-day war, five of the at risk defendants have been hanged in Iranian prisons:
Esmail Fekri
On 16 June, Iran state media reported the execution of Esmail Fekri for charges of “espionage for Israel through contact with two Mossad officers” at an undisclosed location. As he was transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison prior in February, it appears that Esmail was hanged at the prison.
An informed source told IHRNGO: “Esmail Fekri's trial lasted ten minutes before Judge Iman Afshari issued his death sentence at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. It was upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court. Esmail was deprived of the right to a lawyer at trial and, despite not having any government job, was accused of spying and providing secret nuclear, missile and naval information to Israel. They threatened to arrest his family to extract the confession under interrogations, which he later denied in court.”
Majid Mosayebi
On 22 June, Iran state media reported the execution of Majid Mosayebi at an undisclosed location. The report does not specify the location of the execution or date of his arrest but states that Majid was sentenced to death by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court on charges of “moharebeh (enmity against God) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through intelligence collaboration and espionage for the Zionist enemy state.”
Many of those arrested and sentenced to death on charges such as espionage are often reluctant to make their cases public for fear of hasty executions, and are ultimately executed in silence.
Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh
On 23 June, Iran state media reported the execution of Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh at an undisclosed location.
Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, around 26 years old, was arrested in Autumn 2023. Under torture, he confessed to collaborating with Israel which was used as the basis to charge him with multiple offences including “insulting Islamic sanctities” and importantly, Article 6 of the Law on Countering Israeli Actions Against Peace and Security. The article states that “any intelligence cooperation or espionage in favour of the Zionist regime is considered as moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth), and the perpetrator shall be sentenced to the severest punishment.
Mohammad Amin was subsequently tried by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by “Death Judge” Salavati who issued the death sentence after a hasty trial. His case is so devoid of evidence that "an empty handgun magazine" and "a pepper spray can" were used as evidence of illegal possession of weapons to prove "collaboration with the enemy." Mohammad Amin’s sentence was upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, presided over by Judge Ghasem Hosseini Kouhkamari.
While state media reports have not specified the location of his execution, as Mohammad Amin was previously transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison, his execution appears to have been carried out at the prison.
Edris Ali, Azad Shojaei and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul
On 25 June, Iran state media reported the executions of Kurdish men Edris Ali, Azad Shojaei and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul in Urmia Central Prison.
Edris, Azad and Rasoul (an Iraqi national) were sentenced to death on charges of “moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) through collaboration with enemy foreign states in favour of the Zionist regime.” They were accused of collaborating in the assassination case of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
Edris Ali, a 33-year-old Kurdish kolbar (human mules who carry goods across the border), was sentenced to death by Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Reza Najafzadeh. His conviction was based on confession obtained by under torture and he was denied the right to his lawyer of choice during the interrogations and trial.
Azad Shojayi was a 46-year-old Kurdish kolbar from the village of Dole Garmeh in Sardasht. He was married and has two daughters and a son. He was arrested in 2024 and held incommunicado for eight months and subjected to torture to confess that he had brought two drones from Iraqi Kurdistan into Iran.
Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul was a merchant and Kurdish Iraqi national who was arrested in June 2023 as one of the defendants in the assassination case of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, July 2, 2025
"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde