Iran Executes Accused Israeli Spy Amid International Outcry Over Execution Surge

by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Iran has executed Pedram Madani, an Iranian national accused of spying for Israel, in a case that human rights organizations have condemned as deeply flawed and based on forced confessions.

Iranian state-affiliated judiciary outlet Mizan News confirmed the execution on Tuesday, stating that Madani was put to death on charges of “spying for Israel” and “acquiring wealth through illegitimate means.”

Madani had been arrested in 2020 and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court under the charge of “corruption on Earth”—a vague and often politically charged term used in Iran’s penal code. The sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court three times, only for lower courts to reimpose it each time.

Human rights groups had warned in recent days that Madani was facing imminent execution after being moved from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison to Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj. His family was summoned for what is believed to have been a final visit.

“This case was riddled with legal and procedural violations,” said the Norway-based Iranian Human Rights Organization, which had sounded the alarm just days earlier. “Madani’s confession was extracted under duress, and the repeated death sentences highlight the dysfunction of Iran’s judicial system.”

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and imprisoned activist Narges Mohammadi published a video showing Madani’s mother pleading with Iranian authorities. “Please don’t let another family suffer,” she said. “Let this flawed case be reviewed again—revive it so he can live.”

Madani’s execution comes as Iran faces growing condemnation for what Human Rights Watch describes as a “horrific execution spree.” In a report issued Monday, the organization revealed that Iranian authorities carried out at least 113 executions in the first 25 days of May alone—averaging more than four per day. A total of 478 people have been executed so far in 2025, marking a 75% increase over the same period last year.

“The killing spree shows no signs of slowing down,” said Federico Borello, interim executive director of Human Rights Watch. “The scale of this crisis underscores the urgent need for the international community to press the Iranian government to halt all executions and adopt an immediate moratorium.”

Iran remains one of the world’s top executioners, with international watchdogs accusing the regime of using capital punishment as a tool of political repression—especially against dissidents, minorities, and those accused of espionage or vague anti-state activities.

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