Zürcher Nachrichten - Iran hangs three more accused of spying as fears grow for Swede

EUR -
AED 4.310188
AFN 81.061016
ALL 97.671021
AMD 450.500371
ANG 2.100191
AOA 1076.08824
ARS 1476.841381
AUD 1.781792
AWG 2.115213
AZN 1.992647
BAM 1.957232
BBD 2.369383
BDT 143.046454
BGN 1.957631
BHD 0.442424
BIF 3497.443155
BMD 1.173488
BND 1.499329
BOB 8.109104
BRL 6.524125
BSD 1.173483
BTN 101.390726
BWP 15.661388
BYN 3.840391
BYR 23000.370646
BZD 2.357174
CAD 1.59822
CDF 3386.687314
CHF 0.93165
CLF 0.028413
CLP 1114.63754
CNY 8.419546
CNH 8.39578
COP 4767.448765
CRC 592.831075
CUC 1.173488
CUP 31.09744
CVE 110.347119
CZK 24.59115
DJF 208.757134
DKK 7.463732
DOP 71.033468
DZD 152.112333
EGP 57.602904
ERN 17.602324
ETB 160.342392
FJD 2.626502
FKP 0.868031
GBP 0.865324
GEL 3.180223
GGP 0.868031
GHS 12.263231
GIP 0.868031
GMD 84.49096
GNF 10181.577028
GTQ 9.00678
GYD 245.384704
HKD 9.211813
HNL 30.727605
HRK 7.536959
HTG 153.985907
HUF 398.800585
IDR 19102.570589
ILS 3.913777
IMP 0.868031
INR 101.338578
IQD 1537.257111
IRR 49418.525464
ISK 142.215165
JEP 0.868031
JMD 188.237678
JOD 0.831984
JPY 171.811012
KES 151.613781
KGS 102.53131
KHR 4703.540409
KMF 492.277514
KPW 1056.200528
KRW 1615.506366
KWD 0.358078
KYD 0.977911
KZT 631.539222
LAK 25297.041377
LBP 105144.143217
LKR 354.036487
LRD 235.287103
LSL 20.607036
LTL 3.465006
LVL 0.709831
LYD 6.345641
MAD 10.553554
MDL 19.843429
MGA 5183.901983
MKD 61.605846
MMK 2463.270178
MNT 4208.569568
MOP 9.487641
MRU 46.575661
MUR 53.217801
MVR 18.059016
MWK 2034.831641
MXN 21.838523
MYR 4.960926
MZN 75.056357
NAD 20.60686
NGN 1794.486614
NIO 43.182136
NOK 11.875215
NPR 162.229112
NZD 1.944133
OMR 0.451179
PAB 1.173483
PEN 4.182813
PGK 4.932671
PHP 66.591947
PKR 334.087825
PLN 4.254071
PYG 8789.428655
QAR 4.278084
RON 5.073927
RSD 117.179812
RUB 91.823465
RWF 1696.276807
SAR 4.402539
SBD 9.722462
SCR 16.598737
SDG 704.682998
SEK 11.176548
SGD 1.499372
SHP 0.922178
SLE 26.99012
SLL 24607.467502
SOS 670.587616
SRD 42.77012
STD 24288.838511
STN 24.518455
SVC 10.267641
SYP 15257.648307
SZL 20.597504
THB 37.766324
TJS 11.259575
TMT 4.118944
TND 3.425806
TOP 2.748424
TRY 47.473598
TTD 7.963791
TWD 34.373801
TZS 3024.666914
UAH 49.068917
UGX 4213.171303
USD 1.173488
UYU 47.175107
UZS 14908.094455
VES 140.190315
VND 30686.719
VUV 140.889944
WST 3.093419
XAF 656.451118
XAG 0.029748
XAU 0.000344
XCD 3.171411
XCG 2.114838
XDR 0.815021
XOF 656.44552
XPF 119.331742
YER 282.752101
ZAR 20.595324
ZMK 10562.803211
ZMW 27.254515
ZWL 377.862753
  • RBGPF

    -1.0000

    68

    -1.47%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1200

    13.3

    -0.9%

  • RELX

    0.3400

    53.02

    +0.64%

  • SCS

    0.1950

    10.665

    +1.83%

  • RIO

    0.1080

    64.438

    +0.17%

  • BCE

    0.0700

    24.45

    +0.29%

  • CMSC

    0.0280

    22.498

    +0.12%

  • VOD

    -0.0750

    11.245

    -0.67%

  • NGG

    -1.8200

    72.46

    -2.51%

  • JRI

    0.0400

    13.25

    +0.3%

  • AZN

    2.5100

    72.99

    +3.44%

  • BCC

    1.5350

    88.685

    +1.73%

  • BTI

    0.0700

    52.29

    +0.13%

  • CMSD

    -0.0300

    22.89

    -0.13%

  • SCU

    0.0000

    12.72

    0%

  • BP

    0.3050

    32.825

    +0.93%

  • GSK

    1.0100

    38.03

    +2.66%

Iran hangs three more accused of spying as fears grow for Swede
Iran hangs three more accused of spying as fears grow for Swede / Photo: - - UGC/AFP

Iran hangs three more accused of spying as fears grow for Swede

Iran on Wednesday hanged three men convicted of spying for Israel after what activists decried as an unfair trial, bringing to six the number of people executed on such charges since the start of the war between the Islamic republic and Israel.

Text size:

The hangings have also amplified fears for the life of Swedish-Iranian dual national Ahmadreza Djalali who has been on death row for seven-and-a-half years after being convicted of spying for Israel which his family vehemently denies.

The executions also bring to nine the number of people executed by Iran on espionage charges since the start of 2025, with activists accusing the Islamic republic of using capital punishment as a means to instil fear in society.

Idris Ali, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul and Azad Shojai were executed earlier Wednesday in the northwestern city of Urmia, the judiciary said, the day after a truce between the Islamic republic and Israel came into effect.

They had "attempted to import equipment into the country to carry out assassinations," it added.

Iran had executed three other men accused of spying for Israel since the start of the conflict on June 13, in separate hangings on June 16, June 22 and June 23.

"The Islamic Republic sentenced Idris Ali, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, and Azad Shojai to death without a fair trial and based on confessions obtained under torture, accusing them of espionage," Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), told AFP.

He said Ali and Shojai were two border porters -- known locally as kolbar -- who carry goods over the border.

"They were arrested on charges of smuggling alcoholic beverages but were forced to confess to espionage for Israel," he said. Ali and Shojai were members of Iran's Kurdish minority while Rasoul, while also Kurdish, was an Iraqi national.

- 'Imminent risk' -

He warned that in the coming weeks the lives of "hundreds" more prisoners sentenced to death were at risk. "After the ceasefire with Israel, the Islamic republic needs more repression to cover up military failures, prevent protests, and ensure its continued survival."

Djalali was arrested in 2016 and sentenced to death in October 2017 on charges of spying following what Amnesty International has termed "a grossly unfair trial" based on "'forced confessions' made under torture and other ill-treatment."

Long held in Tehran's Evin prison, which was hit by an Israeli strike on Monday before the truce, he has now been transferred to an unknown location, raising fears that his execution could be imminent, his family and government said.

"He called me and said, 'They're going to transfer me.' I asked where, and he said, 'I don't know,'" his wife Vida Mehrannia told AFP.

"Is it because they want to carry out the sentence? Or for some other reason? I don't know," she said, adding that she was "very worried" following the latest executions.

The Swedish foreign ministry said it had received information that he has been moved to an "unknown location" and warned there would be "serious consequences" for Sweden's relationship with Iran were he to be executed.

Amnesty International said Tuesday it was "gravely concerned" that he "is at imminent risk of execution".

- 'Grossly unfair trials' -

Rights groups say defendants in espionage cases are often convicted under vaguely-worded charges which are capital crimes under Iran's sharia law including "enmity against god" and "corruption on earth".

Analysts say that Israel's intelligence service Mossad has deeply penetrated Iran, as shown by its ability to locate and kill key members of the Iranian security forces in the conflict. But rights groups say that those executed are used as scapegoats to make up for Iran's failure to catch the actual spies.

Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei had ordered swift trials against people suspected of collaborating with Israel with rights groups saying dozens of people have been arrested since the conflict started.

"A rush to execute people after torture-tainted 'confessions' and grossly unfair trials would be a horrifying abuse of power and a blatant assault on the right to life," said Hussein Baoumi, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

According to IHR, Iran has executed 594 people on all charges this year alone. Iran executes more people every year than any nation other than China.

H.Roth--NZN