Iran's Judiciary Confirms Execution of Shahram Amiri

On Sunday, August 8, the spokesperson for Iran's Judiciary confirmed the execution of Shahram Amiri, stating: "Amiri had connected with the U.S. and provided vital information to the enemy." Amiri, who was referred to as a "nuclear scientist" in the U.S. and a "researcher" in Iran, returned to Iran in 2010 and was imprisoned shortly after. According to IRNA news agency, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the Judiciary spokesperson, added that "Shahram Amiri had access to classified secrets of the regime and was connected to our primary adversary, the Great Satan [the United States]." He continued, "One of the surprises that America faced from Iran was related to this case; the U.S. intelligence system was caught off guard by Iran, thinking that all their actions were hidden from our intelligence system." Mohseni Ejei stated that "Amiri was taken to Saudi Arabia, thinking we were unaware of his situation; this matter was under the scrutiny of the Islamic Republic." He mentioned that the initial court had issued a death sentence for him, and the Supreme Court reviewed his case, adding, "Although we regret that anyone is punished and wish these individuals would repent, this person not only did not make amends after the confirmation of his sentence but also attempted to mislead information from within the prison." Ejei did not provide details about the time and place of Amiri's execution. Before the confirmation of Amiri's execution by the Iranian Judiciary, his family informed Radio Farda that he was executed on Wednesday, August 3. Marzieh Amiri, Shahram Amiri's mother, stated on Saturday, August 5, that her son was executed on Wednesday and his body was transferred to Kermanshah for burial after the execution in Tehran. Prior to Amiri's return to Iran, American media referred to him as a "nuclear scientist," but several contradictory videos of him emerged, casting doubt on the reasons for his presence in the U.S. In one of these videos, Amiri claimed that CIA agents had kidnapped him in Medina and transferred him to the U.S. He stated that the main goal of his abduction was "to exert political pressure on Iran and to prove the lies that America claims against the Islamic Republic." Meanwhile, ABC News, which had previously reported that Amiri collaborated with the CIA, released another video in which Amiri stated that he intended to continue his studies in the U.S. and assured that he was free and safe. In this video, Amiri emphasized that he had no experience in weapons research, had not acted against his homeland, and had gone to the U.S. solely for education. At the same time, some American media reported that Amiri had sought asylum in the U.S. through Saudi Arabia and was living in Arizona. Despite the release of these videos, the Iranian Foreign Ministry at the time continued to accuse the U.S. of kidnapping Shahram Amiri and announced that Iran would pursue this "kidnapping" politically and legally. However, the U.S. State Department responded to these reports in July 2010, stating that Shahram Amiri had come to the U.S. voluntarily and was free to return to Iran. Eventually, Shahram Amiri returned to Iran on July 15, 2010, and was welcomed by family and some officials of the Islamic Republic, including Hassan Qashqavi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, but shortly after, according to reports from some Iranian government-critical websites, including Saham News, he was arrested and imprisoned.