Iran executed Mehdi Farid on Wednesday, a former employee of the Atomic Energy Organisation, on charges of spying for Israel's Mossad. State media reported Farid allegedly provided internal network access and organizational details to Mossad officers. Human rights groups have raised concerns about a lack of legal access and alleged forced confessions in such cases.
An alternative account from the Iranian civil society body Hengaw suggests Farid was an IT student who voluntarily reported suspicious requests to domestic security, but his cooperation was disregarded in judicial proceedings.
This execution is the latest in a sharp increase in capital punishment in Iran. Human rights organizations report at least 1,639 executions in 2025, a 68% rise from the previous year. Since a conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025, at least 10 individuals have been executed on charges of collaborating with Israel. Judicial officials have called for accelerated executions amid what is described as an 'all-out war' and increased crackdown on dissent.