Iran detains 2,000 in war sweep, some may face death for Israel espionage

Iran’s judiciary chief said around 2,000 people were arrested during and after the 12-day war with Israel, with some detainees accused of collaborating with the Jewish state potentially facing the death penalty.

“In our law, anyone who cooperates with a hostile state during wartime must be arrested and prosecuted,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said in an interview with state TV.

“Some of these individuals face severe punishments, including the death penalty, while others may receive lighter sentences,” he added.

The country's chief justice added that many of those detained were released shortly after investigations found no evidence of espionage or cooperation with Israel. Others were released on bail despite lingering suspicions.

Some detainees have been accused of direct ties to Israel and are being interrogated to identify potential co-conspirators, Ejei said.

Ejei said the judiciary has ordered expedited handling of these cases under wartime legal procedures. Indictments have been issued for some cases and trial dates set, while others are still under investigation.

Iran’s parliament has passed an emergency bill to increase penalties for espionage and collaboration with “hostile states.”

Last month, UN experts which included UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mai Sato, urged Iran to stop what they described as "post-ceasefire crackdown."

The experts cited the arrests of hundreds of people, including journalists, human rights defenders, social media users, foreign nationals — particularly Afghans — and members of ethnic and religious minorities such as Baha’is, Kurds, Baluchis and Ahwazi Arabs.

Source: iranintl.com, Staff, July 23, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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