Iran executes manon Israel‑spy charges, the sixth execution since the war began.

On Wednesday, Iranian officials carried out a hanging of a man in his early thirties who had been convicted of espionage for Israel, marking the sixth execution on such accusations since the US‑Israeli war against Iran began.

The Mizan Online portal of Iran’s judiciary identified the 32‑year‑old Ehsan Afreshteh as “a spy trained by Mossad in Nepal who sold sensitive information to Israel”.

Norway‑based NGOs Hengaw and Iran Human Rights (IHR) issued separate statements asserting that Afreshteh denied transmitting classified documents to Israeli intelligence and claimed that his televised “forced confessions” were extracted under torture.

According to Hengaw, the cybersecurity specialist maintained that his only activity was to “warn independent websites about cyberattacks”.

The rights organizations noted that Afreshteh had been residing in Turkey and had received guarantees from Iranian officials that his return would be safe.

Upon arrival, he was arrested, placed in solitary confinement, and in June 2025 a death sentence was imposed by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, a jurist known for issuing such rulings.

IHR and Hengaw reported that his father, who had arranged the return based on the safety assurances, suffered a fatal heart attack after learning of the verdict.

IHR states that Afreshteh is the sixth individual hanged by Iran on accusations of spying for Israel since the conflict began.

Since then, authorities have also executed 25 men whom IHR classifies as “political prisoners”: 13 were charged in connection with January protests, one for involvement in 2022 demonstrations, and 11 for alleged ties to prohibited opposition groups.

IHR director Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam said, “These executions are intended to create fear among the Iranian people,” and noted that Afreshteh’s death sentence was based on “false espionage