Iran hangs grad student accused of spying for the CIA and Israel's intel agency
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- Iranian authorities executed Erfan Shakourzadeh, a 29-year-old postgraduate student from Iran University of Science and Technology, on charges of espionage for allegedly collaborating with the CIA and Mossad.
- Rights groups report Shakourzadeh was subjected to torture and forced confessions during nine months of solitary confinement, and he denied the charges in a message from prison calling them fabricated.
- This execution is part of a broader wave of capital punishments in Iran linked to espionage accusations, protests, and opposition activity, with at least 190 executions recorded in 2026 alone.
- Human rights organizations criticize Iran for using the death penalty to instill fear amid ongoing domestic unrest and international tensions, highlighting concerns over unfair trials and coerced confessions.
- Iran remains the world's second most prolific executioner after China, with over 1,600 executions reported in 2025 and a continued increase in the pace of hangings as stated by Iranian judiciary officials.