A man accused of spying for the United States was executed in Iran
Shahram Sadegi was executed in Iran after authorities accused him of spying for the United States and Israel, crimes against national security, and intentionally running over police officers during protests.
The execution took place on Sunday morning.
According to Iranian authorities, he was accused of carrying out “covert operations” on behalf of Israel, the United States, and other organizations that Iran considers hostile.
The court also found Sadeghi guilty of collaborating with Israel and other hostile countries, which, according to Iranian authorities, harmed national security and the country’s interests.
Separately, the man was accused of intentionally ramming into law enforcement officers during protests in Karaj on January 8.
According to the court, Sadegi was driving a Kia Pride and ran over police officers near the Golzar intersection. As a result, seven law enforcement officers were injured, and one of them was reportedly in a coma for three months.
After the incident, according to Iranian security forces, the man set his car on fire and fled, but was later apprehended.
Iranian authorities claim that the mass protests that took place in December and January were organized from abroad.
The immediate cause of the demonstrations was the economic downturn, but the protests later took on a political character and were directed against the country’s leadership.
At the same time, accusations of espionage and ties to foreign powers in such cases come from Iranian authorities, who consider the United States and Israel to be hostile states.
According to data cited in the report, more than 36,500 people were killed by security forces during the crackdown on nationwide protests on January 8–9.
This was reported by Iran International.
Earlier in Iran, the death sentence was carried out against 23-year-old Marzieh Nieri, who had been convicted of murder. According to Iran Human Rights, the incident occurred in October 2021, when the 18-year-old woman defended herself with a kitchen knife against her husband’s intoxicated partner, who was attempting to rape her. The convicted woman’s husband was also killed during the altercation.
The High Representative of the European Union and 32 countries issued a joint statement strongly condemning the use of the death penalty against protesters in Iran. The document, published on the Swedish government’s website, emphasizes that the use of the death penalty as a tool to suppress dissent, intimidate citizens, and punish individuals for exercising their fundamental rights is unacceptable.
European Union countries and a number of other states have condemned the executions of protesters in Iran. The joint statement was also supported by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
