Death Sentences Issued for Three Prisoners on Charges of 'Espionage' for Israel

The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has sentenced three prisoners to death on the accusation of 'espionage' for Israel. Two of the condemned are from Sardasht in West Azerbaijan province, and the other is from Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Asghar Jahangiri, the spokesman for the judiciary, stated on Tuesday, November 6, that 'eight individuals in West Azerbaijan province' were arrested in connection with the 'transfer of assassination equipment' related to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh 'under the guise of smuggling alcoholic beverages,' and three of them were sentenced to death. He did not disclose their identities. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on Wednesday, November 7, that the identities of these individuals are 'Idris Ali and Azad Shojaei' from Sardasht and 'Rasul Ahmad Mohammad' from Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, who were sentenced to death for 'espionage for Israel' after enduring months of torture and forced confessions in the Revolutionary Court of Urmia. According to Asghar Jahangiri, the death sentences for the three were issued in the first instance court and 'are now in the appeal stage,' while the cases of the other accused remain open. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that these three were arrested in Tir 1402 (July 2023) in Sardasht by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and 'were subjected to physical and psychological torture for months to extract forced confessions in the Urmia Intelligence Detention Center.' The report indicated that these prisoners were deprived of contact with their families for three months, stating that Idris Ali and Azad Shojaei 'were involved in border carrying' and Rasul Ahmad Mohammad was a 'border trader,' and all three 'initially denied all charges but were forced to make self-incriminating confessions due to torture.' According to the report, the first court session for these three defendants was held on the first of Mehr 1402 (September 2023), and the death sentences for all three were announced in early Aban (November) of the same year, while they 'were deprived of the right to have a designated lawyer during the investigation phase' and 'were able to appoint a lawyer only after the case was sent to the Revolutionary Court.' The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly executed several citizens on charges of 'espionage' for countries they label as 'hostile,' including Israel. Additionally, it is noted that in Bahman 1402 (January 2024), judicial officials executed four members of the Komala Party on charges of 'espionage for Israel,' which these individuals denied, and their lawyer stated that the 'trial process was unjust.'