Three Prisoners Executed in Urmia Prison for Alleged Collaboration with Israel

HRANA News Agency – Today, June 25, Mizan, the Judiciary’s Media Center, announced the execution of Edris (Idris) Ali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad, three prisoners convicted of enmity against God (moharebeh) and spreading corruption on earth (efsad fel-arz) through alleged collaboration with Israel, at Urmia Prison.

According to the Judiciary’s statement, Ali, Shojaei, and Ahmad (also referred to as Ahmad Mohammad) were accused of “smuggling equipment into the country intended for assassinations,” and were prosecuted on charges of moharebeh and efsad fel-arz for cooperating with “hostile foreign governments on behalf of the Zionist regime.” The executions were carried out following the completion of legal proceedings and the Supreme Court’s confirmation of their death sentences.

Back in November 2024, Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir announced that the three had been sentenced to death. At the time, Jahangir alleged that the defendants had “smuggled assassination equipment used in the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (Iran’s nuclear scientist), under the cover of alcohol smuggling,” and also accused them of espionage.

Edris Ali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad were arrested by security forces in early 2024 and transferred to Urmia Prison.

Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Political Prisoner Azad Shojaei

HRANA News Agency – The Supreme Court of Iran has upheld the death sentence of Azad Shojaei, a political prisoner currently held in Urmia Prison. Shojaei, a resident of Sardasht, was initially convicted by Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court on charges of “spying for Israel” and “transferring equipment used in the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.”

According to information received by HRANA, the ruling was recently confirmed by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.

The case dates back to early 2024, when Shojaei was arrested along with two others, Edris Ali and Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad, by security forces and transferred to Urmia Prison. In November of the previous year, a judiciary spokesperson announced that all three had been sentenced to death.

Judiciary official Asghar Jahangir claimed that the men had transported equipment used in Fakhrizadeh’s assassination “under the guise of alcohol smuggling” and also accused them of espionage.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a senior figure in Iran’s nuclear program, was killed in November 2020 in an ambush involving a car explosion and gunfire between his security team and unknown assailants.

Iran Sentences Three to Death on Alleged Espionage and Assassination Equipment Charges

According to Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, three individuals have been sentenced to death on charges of “espionage.”

Judiciary Spokesperson Asghar Jahangir reported that eight individuals were initially arrested in West Azerbaijan Province in connection with the case. Out of these, three were brought to trial and sentenced to death on espionage charges.

Jahangir further alleged that these individuals used alcohol smuggling as a cover to transport “assassination equipment” meant for Mohsen Fakhrizadeh Mahabadi, the former Deputy Defense Minister and a senior figure in Iran’s nuclear program. Fakhrizadeh was killed on November 27, 2020, in an attack involving a car explosion and gunfire exchange between his security team and assailants.

The defendants’ case is currently under appeal, and Jahangir indicated that a separate case is also underway regarding other individuals allegedly linked to Fakhrizadeh’s assassination. However, he provided no additional details.

Though espionage prosecution is generally outside the scope of human rights concerns, Iran’s history of leveraging such charges as political tools often raises skepticism about the legitimacy of these accusations.