On Saturday, December 20, 2025, the judiciary-affiliated news agency Mizan reported the execution of an individual convicted of “espionage for Israel.”
According to the report, Aqil Keshavarz, a 27-year-old architecture student at Shahrood University in Semnan Province, who had previously been arrested, was transferred to solitary confinement in Urmia Prison prior to the implementation of his death sentence and subsequently executed.
Mizan stated that Keshavarz was arrested in May 2025 while allegedly filming the headquarters of the Urmia Infantry Division. Iran’s judiciary claimed that his execution was carried out “after confirmation by the Supreme Court and completion of all legal procedures.” The report also noted that Keshavarz was interrogated by agents of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June and July 2025, Iranian authorities announced an acceleration in judicial proceedings related to individuals accused of cooperation with Israel. Tehran has since confirmed the arrest of a number of people on similar charges.
In this context, Hengaw human rights organization has reported that at least 16 individuals have been executed in Iran on charges of espionage for Israel following the war, while 18 executions on similar charges have been carried out during 2025 alone.
