The Iran government has executed two men found guilty of espionage, over offences of spying for Israel, marking the latest in a series of executions as Tehran intensifies its crackdown on alleged espionage following its recent war with Israel.
The executed man, Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, were hanged after they were convicted of transmitting the coordinates of sensitive military and security sites to Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, and collaborating with what Iranian authorities describe as the “Zionist regime.”
According to the Iran’s judiciary media outlet, Mizan News Agency, the pair were hanged on Monday after being found guilty of espionage.
The agency did not disclose when they were arrested or tried but said the convictions were based on charges of “espionage and collaboration with the Zionist regime.”
Mizan said the two men helped Israeli intelligence achieve its objectives by supplying information on military and security centres during the recent conflict, alleging that the intelligence they provided was used to target sensitive locations.
The executions are the latest in a wave of hangings that Iranian authorities say are aimed at countering espionage and safeguarding national security following the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States in February.
Iran remains the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups, including Amnesty International, which have repeatedly criticised the country’s extensive use of the death penalty.
According to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based non-governmental organisation, and the Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), Iranian authorities carried out at least 1,639 executions last year, the highest annual figure recorded since 1989.
Amnesty International recently condemned what it described as an “escalation” in executions after Iran announced the hanging of two men convicted of participating in anti-government protests during the winter, renewing concerns over the country’s increasing use of capital punishment.