The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced in the early hours of May 13, 2026, that Ehsan Afreshteh, a prisoner accused of “spying for Israel,” had been executed following the confirmation of his sentence by the Supreme Court. State-affiliated media claimed that he had been sentenced to death on charges of “intelligence cooperation with Mossad” under Article 6 of the law countering hostile actions by the Zionist regime.
According to previous reports by human rights organizations, Ehsan Afreshteh had been held in solitary confinement for months during his detention and interrogation and was subjected to pressure aimed at extracting forced confessions. Reports had also indicated that a request for judicial review had been submitted and that the case was still under consideration by the Supreme Court.
Hana Human Rights considers the implementation of death sentences, particularly in political and security-related cases lacking fair trial standards, to be a clear violation of the right to life and of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The use of broad and security-related accusations such as “espionage,” alongside denying defendants effective access to independent legal counsel, reliance on forced confessions, and opaque judicial procedures, raises serious concerns regarding the political nature of these executions.
Hana also warns that the escalation of executions and the organized dissemination of related news by state media form part of a broader policy of intimidation and social repression in Iran. This policy has intensified alarmingly in recent months, particularly in cases involving allegations of “cooperation with Israel.”