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34-year-old genius framed by the Khomeinist regime and executed for false claims of spying for Israel

Early on Wednesday, the authorities of the Islamic Republic carried out the execution of a 34-year-old expert in network security, ignoring global worries regarding fair legal procedures and allegations of torture.

A few hours before, his parents waited outside the notorious Qezelhesar Prison, in Tehran’s suburb, Karaj. His mother in tears as an ambulance arrived, hinting at what was about to unfold. Family and friends gathered and made a video. His father says: "We have come to transfer the positive energy that people have given us to Mohsen in these moments. Hoping for the day when there is no prison and no prisoner." Mohsen's mother wails and says: "Lord help us...lord help us..."

After several months of legal battles, the execution took place, which human rights organizations criticized as fundamentally unjust.

Earlier in the night, Langarneshin's father shared a video on Instagram expressing his concern over the lack of updates regarding his son, mentioning that he had been relocated to an undisclosed site—often a precursor to executions in Iran. By the time morning arrived, it was all over. Officials verified that Langarneshin was executed by hanging.

On July 3, 2023, agents from the Intelligence Ministry apprehended a car dealer and network security expert in Tehran, just outside his place of business.

His capital punishment, endorsed by the infamous “death judge” Abolghasem Salavati of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and the late Ali Razini of the Supreme Court, accused him of “collaborating with Israel,” a charge that legal analysts suggest was derived from coerced admissions.

In network security, Mohsen Langarneshin stood out as a highly skilled and exceptional professional. And it was his proficiency in that area that would ultimately lead to his untimely end.

By the time he turned 20, his expertise had led him to Imam Hussein University, where he spent a couple of years enhancing security systems for a facility connected to the Iranian military. He was dispatched by a private firm for a duration of two years to enhance the cybersecurity infrastructure at the university. The fact that Langarneshin had previously worked at Imam Hussein University, an institution associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made him particularly at risk.

Later on, this professional association would be distorted into a claim of espionage.

He faced allegations regarding his participation in the 2011 incident that led to the death of Hassan Tehrani Moghadam, the architect of Iran's missile initiative, who perished in an explosion alongside 39 other individuals. Langarneshin was just 20 years old at the time.

Prosecutors have more recently asserted that he contributed to the 2022 killing of IRGC commander Hassan Sayyad Khodaei by tracking his movements and offering intelligence about his location.

In a 21-minute audio clip that came ouot prior to his execution, Langarneshin outlined the charges against him, which involved buying a Pride vehicle, transporting it to Isfahan, parking it in a lot, and keeping a package that measured 30 by 40 centimeters, purportedly containing explosives.

However, the accusations were rife with inconsistencies.

Authorities had consistently asserted that the demise of Tehrani Moghadam was a result of an accidental incident during the transfer of ammunition, a narrative echoed by prominent IRGC leaders such as Hassan Firouzabadi, Ramadan Sharif, and Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

In 2016, Tehrani Moghadam's sibling briefly contested this account during an interview with a media outlet affiliated with the IRGC, and later in the television series Gando; however, official communications continued to label it as an accident.

In October 2024, Esmail Kowsari, the commander of the IRGC, stated on state television that “Martyr Hassan Tehrani Moghadam lost his life while working on an intercontinental missile,” without referencing any involvement from Israel.

A significant concern in Langarneshin’s situation was the fabricated evidence and the dismissal of information that could exonerate him. In a recorded audio statement, he claimed that the interrogators pressured him into admitting that he possessed a Honda 125 motorcycle utilized for monitoring purposes. He rejected the accusation, claiming that he only owned a recently acquired Fidel 5.

“He stated that if the motorcycle in question were his, the relevant ownership paperwork ought to have been part of the case file.

The court dismissed the evidence presented by his family regarding his vehicle ownership, which failed to mention any Honda 125.

According to Langarneshin, he was absent from Tehran when Khodaei was killed, a fact corroborated by his phone records that the court disregarded.

One of his previous cellmates described him: “His extraordinary understanding of network security set him apart. Consequently, he was taken to Imam Hussein University for a time to take charge of their network security responsibilities. He was under a lot of pressure to say he went there to identify the university’s forces. They had taken him there themselves.”

The audiotape that was disseminated to news organizations prior to his execution reveals a chilling account of organized physical and psychological torture. Langarneshin recounted his experience of being confined in a secure location following his capture, where his interrogators warned him of impending flogging and torture if he failed to comply with their exact instructions in writing.

”Following 43 days of isolation, he faced ongoing threats that the women in his life—his mother, sister, and fiancée—had also been taken into custody and would remain imprisoned until they were “unrecognizable.

He described an incident where, at 6 AM, armed officers took him to a wooden bridge, forcing him to engage in a reenactment of Sayyad Khodaei’s assassination for the sake of filming.

“He described how the officers' intimidation tactics made him feel obligated to repeat whatever they told him.

The psychological torture became so severe that a mock execution was orchestrated by security forces to break him.

“When I refused to admit my guilt, they brought me to a facility located within the premises of Evin prison. They bound my wrists and ankles with cuffs, blindfolded me, and documented the event on camera. They said this is the last film we're taking of you, before your execution, which is within a few days. They mentioned that if you put this in writing, perhaps our hearts would feel more compassionately toward you, and we would consider lessening the sentence to life in prison."

Mohsen, who suffered from epilepsy, was refused his medication by the security authorities. “During the initial month of my confinement, my neurological medications were discontinued, and I was instructed to inform my family that I was still receiving them if they inquired. They said that if I tell the truth about all this, they'll cut off your phone privileges with my family. Throughout that month, I experienced a series of seizures, and the repercussions are still evident a year later.”

The security forces of the Islamic Republic have a history of imposing harsh penalties, including imprisonment and even death, on prominent figures accused of espionage.

In the last ten years, Iran has detained and incarcerated numerous scientists, scholars, and technology professionals based on questionable espionage allegations, frequently focusing on individuals linked to military organizations or dual citizens associated with Western nations.

Human rights organizations have reported a recurring trend in which these individuals are apprehended, kept in isolation, deprived of legal counsel, subjected to both physical and mental abuse, and coerced into making televised admissions before facing severe penalties in secretive court proceedings.

In addition to the concerns about security, there seems to be a monetary aspect involved in these situations. Alongside the spying allegations, Langarneshin was also confronted with financial claims, notably for allegedly accepting 122,000 euros from Israel.

During his statement, he recounted how he was brought to several parks in Tehran, where law enforcement compelled him to declare on video that he had obtained different amounts of money from various places.

“One night, they took me out and kept me on the streets until seven the following morning, insisting that I claim on camera that I had received $5,000 here and $10,000 there.”

Frequently, these monetary penalties lead to the confiscation of assets, prompting concerns that certain legal actions might be driven, at least in part, by the chance to seize valuable properties and possessions.

The ordeal for Langarneshin's relatives persists even after his passing.

In Iran, the relatives of prisoners who have been executed frequently experience limitations on their mourning rituals and burial sites, and they may also face pressure to keep quiet about the details surrounding their loved ones' situations.