Iran Hangs Graduate Student It Accuses Of CIA And Mossad Spying
Iran hanged graduate student Erfan Shakourzadeh, 29, at dawn Monday, May 11, 2026, at Ghezel Hesar prison outside Tehran after accusing him of spying for the CIA and Mossad.[1]
Iran's judiciary said he collaborated with the CIA and Israel's Mossad by sharing sensitive satellite-technology information.[1] Rights groups Iran Human Rights and Hengaw released a prison note in which Shakourzadeh denied the charges and alleged months of torture and a forced confession.[1] He is the fifth person executed on espionage charges since the Iran-U.S./Israel war began in late February 2026, amid a sharp overall rise in executions.[1]
Shakourzadeh was a graduate student, and his execution follows other espionage convictions that rights groups say involved coerced confessions and allegations of torture.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Erfan Shakourzadeh, 29, was hanged at dawn Monday, May 11, 2026, at Ghezel Hesar prison outside Tehran.
- Iran's judiciary alleges he collaborated with the CIA and Israel's Mossad by sharing sensitive satellite technology information.
- Rights groups Iran Human Rights and Hengaw released his prison note denying the charges and alleging months of torture and forced confessions.
- He is the fifth person executed on espionage charges since the Iran–U.S./Israel war began in late February 2026, amid a sharp overall rise in executions.
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