Iran Executes Post-Graduate Student for Espionage

Authorities in Iran have announced that a post-graduate student from a well-regarded university in Tehran was executed on charges of spying for the CIA and Israel’s Mossad. Erfan Shakourzadeh, a student at the Iran University of Science and Technology, was arrested in February 2025 on accusations of leaking classified satellite information to foreign intelligence agencies. He was executed on Monday at Ghezel Hesar prison, following a sudden transfer from Evin prison earlier this month.

After his arrest, reports indicate that Shakourzadeh endured nine months of severe torture in solitary confinement, allegedly to extract forced confessions, as stated by the rights organization Hengaw, based in Norway. According to Mizan News Agency, which is linked to the Iranian judiciary, Shakourzadeh had been involved in satellite technology and provided sensitive information about his workplace and duties to foreign intelligence agencies.

Hengaw reported that Shakourzadeh was a high-achieving master’s student in aerospace engineering, having graduated from the University of Tabriz with a degree in electrical engineering. His execution marks the fifth related to espionage charges since the beginning of U.S. and Israeli actions against Tehran in late February. Earlier in March, Iran executed three men for their involvement in the killings of police officers during protests, including Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old wrestler.

According to human rights organizations, Iran leads the world in executions after China, with 1,639 death penalties recorded in 2025, including 48 women. Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported at least 190 executions in 2026 alone.

In a message he left before his execution, published by Hengaw and IHR, Shakourzadeh referred to the charges against him as “baseless,” claiming that he was forced into false confessions through torture. He implored others not to allow another innocent life to be lost without public attention.