Iran executed two men convicted of spying for Israel, the judiciary said, the latest in a wave of hangings over alleged espionage.
Since the war with Israel and the United States began in February, Tehran has ramped up executions, with many of the convicts accused of spying for Israeli intelligence.
“Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat were hanged this morning for transmitting the coordinates of sensitive military and security sites to Mossad agents,” said Mizan, the media outlet for Iran’s judiciary, referring to Israel’s foreign intelligence service.
It did not reveal when the pair were arrested or when they went on trial but said they were convicted of “espionage and collaboration with the Zionist regime.”
“They helped the intelligence services achieve their objectives by providing them with information on military and security centers during the war,” Mizan added.
Since the US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader on February 28, the number of executions in Iran has increased.
Amnesty International ranks Iran as the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China.
According to Iran Human Rights, an NGO based in Norway, and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), headquartered in Paris, the authorities executed at least 1,639 people last year, setting a new record since 1989.
Amnesty International condemned the “escalation” of executions on Tuesday, as Iran announced the hanging of two men convicted of participating in anti-government protests over the winter.
