Iran has executed political prisoner Erfan Shokourzadeh after accusing him of cooperating with U.S. intelligence and Israel’s Mossad, according to Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, as reported by Iran International. The execution took place on May 11. Mizan stated that the case involved alleged collaboration with “the U.S. intelligence service and the spy service of Mossad.”
Shokourzadeh was reportedly recruited by a prominent scientific organization active in the satellite field due to his professional expertise, though the institution was not named. The judiciary-affiliated outlet alleged that he had transferred classified information to “enemy services,” but did not provide documentary evidence. Iran International reported that Shokourzadeh was arrested in February 2025 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ intelligence organization on charges of espionage and cooperation with hostile countries. He was held in solitary confinement for nine months.
In the days leading up to the execution, human rights groups had warned that the sentence could be carried out at any time. On May 7, 2026, the Tavaana educational initiative reported that Shokourzadeh had been transferred from Evin Prison to Qezel Hesar Prison for the implementation of his death sentence. The Supreme Court had recently upheld the ruling against him. Iran Human Rights called for an immediate halt to the execution on May 8, emphasizing that the 29-year-old political prisoner held a master’s degree in aerospace engineering.
Shokourzadeh’s execution comes amid a broader surge in executions in Iran, particularly in cases labeled as political or security-related. Iran International reported that at least 28 political prisoners were executed in the 48 days following March 18, 2026. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center stated that the Islamic Republic executed at least 612 people in the first four months of 2026, averaging about five executions per day. In a separate annual report, Iran Human Rights and the group Together Against the Death Penalty noted that executions in Iran rose by 68% in 2025, reaching at least 1,639 recorded cases.
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