Iran | Babak Shahbazi at Imminent Risk of Execution After Ghezel Hesar Prison Transfer

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 8, 2025: Babak Shahbazi, a prisoner on death row for espionage for Israel, has been transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison, where the majority of death row prisoners are executed in Alborz and Tehran provinces.

On 5 August, IHRNGO published the profiles of 67 death row prisoners and warned of the risk of 22 of the defendants including Babak Shahbazi being executed. Of the 67, Rouzbeh Vadi was executed on 6 August. Iran Human Rights once again warns that without a strong public and international response, we may face a new wave of executions targeting political prisoners and espionage defendants in the coming weeks.

These sentences are issued without fair trials and based on confessions obtained under torture, and in addition to violating international laws, they also violate even the laws of the Islamic Republic itself.

IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam previously stated: “Under the cover of wartime conditions, the Islamic Republic seeks to carry out the execution of political prisoners at a lower political cost. The threat of these executions is serious, and only by increasing the political cost through popular protests and international pressure can they be prevented.” He added: “These sentences have been issued without fair trials and based on confessions obtained under torture, and in addition to violating international laws, they also violate even the laws of the Islamic Republic itself.”

Babak Shahbazi is a 44-year-old father of two who worked as a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) technician prior to his arrest on 6 January 2024. He was held in the solitary confinement cells of Evin Prison and safe houses for over nine months where he was subjected to severe torture confess to spying for Israel and denied access to a lawyer

According to informed sources, writing a letter to President Zelenskyy declaring his willingness to join Ukrainian forces against Russia was used as an example of espionage for Israel who they claim taught Babak to use Microsoft Word.

On 4 May 2025, Babak was sentenced to death on charges of moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by “Death Judge” Salavati. The sentence was based on Article 6 of the Law on Countering Israeli Actions Against Peace and Security which 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.

Babak was denied access to the lawyer his family had hired prior to trial. The defence lawyer was also denied access to the case file. His death sentence was upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court within 24 hours.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, August 8, 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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