Iran Executes Four Political Prisoners Accused of Spying for Israel and Planning to Blow Up Weapons Factory

JAKARTA - Iranian authorities executed four political prisoners accused of spying for Iran and planning to blow up the country's weapons factory, after their appeal was rejected.

The death sentence was imposed on Mohammad Faramarzi, Mohsen Mazloum, Wafa Azarbar, and Pejman Fatehi, after the Supreme Court rejected their appeal and upheld their sentences, the Mizan news agency said, as quoted by The National News, January 29.

The spy label was given after Tehran accused them of being recruited by Israel before being trained in Africa. In addition, they are also said to have met with Mossad Chief David Barnea, traveling to Iran via the Kurdish region of Iraq.

Mizan further stated that they were arrested because of a plan to bomb a weapons factory belonging to the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan.

The execution came days after Iran executed a protester detained during the 2022 Mahsa Amini demonstrations.

Separately, human rights groups said the men were all Kurdish prisoners of conscience and were being held on unclear charges and being tried in secret.

"Their case, characterized by ambiguity, highlights the lack of access to legal representation during their 18 months of detention," said the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, which monitors human rights violations in Iran's Kurdish region.

"Even by the standards of the Republic of Iran, the minimum requirements for a fair trial were not met in their case. The trial process of this case was completely confidential," the organization explained.

The organization also said the men were allowed to see their families on Sunday, for the first time since their arrest.

Their relatives, including young children, had applied for clemency at the weekend and their mother wrote to UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Neda Al Nashif, who will visit Iran next month, to ask for their release.

It is known that Iran often claims to thwart Israeli attacks throughout the country and often accuses political prisoners of espionage.