'Spy for Israel': Iran’s Baseless Charges and Sham Trials Claim Another Life in State-Led Killing Spree
Pedram Madani executed today
Pedram Madani, 41, was executed in Ghezelhesar prison outside Tehran after being transferred from Evin prison, where he had been detained since his arrest in 2019. Iranian authorities claim Madani was convicted of espionage on behalf of Israel, but human rights groups and his family have condemned the execution as the result of a deeply flawed and politicized judicial process.
Madani is the second individual in two months to be executed by the Islamic Republic on charges of spying for Israel. His death comes amid a sharp spike in executions across Iran—at least 478 so far this year, including over 60 in the past ten days alone—during what rights organizations are calling a "horrific execution spree."
Iran’s judiciary, through its official outlet Mizan Online, stated that Madani had been found guilty of “spying in favor of the Zionist regime,” a term the Islamic Republic uses to refer to Israel. He was also accused of acquiring “illicit wealth” through bitcoin payments and euros allegedly received from Mossad agents, and traveling to Israel—referred to in Iranian official language as “the occupied territories.”
According to the judiciary, the sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court and carried out following the “complete process of criminal procedure.” However, critics say there was nothing fair or legal about Madani's trial.
Allegations of Coerced Confessions and Lack of Legal Representation
Human rights advocates and legal experts say the case was marred by serious due process violations. Madani’s family reported that he was denied access to a lawyer of his choosing, and was tried in Iran’s opaque Revolutionary Court system, notorious for rapid, closed-door trials and verdicts based on forced confessions.
"Pedram was sentenced to death through an unfair and non-transparent process orchestrated by security agencies," said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR). "There was no real legal defense. The Islamic Republic’s goal in executing people like Madani is to instill fear and suppress dissent."
The Dadban legal monitor echoed these concerns, stating on social media that Revolutionary Court judges are often denied the authority to reject cases or to allow the accused a meaningful defense. “It is more than a legal accusation—it is a tool to carry out death sentences,” the group wrote.
Madani’s mother made a last-minute plea to save her son’s life. “My son’s case is full of flaws and his death sentence must be revoked,” she said in a video posted by human rights groups. “He is a man who loves his country and loves his family.”
A statement was posted by Olivier Grondeau, a French national recently freed from Iranian custody. Grondeau, speaking in perfect Farsi says:
“My heart is in your country's prison today. This morning I heard that Pedram Madani was transferred to the Qezel-e-Sar prison under the threat of execution. They want to execute him tomorrow. My name is Oliver. I am from France. I was in the Islamic Republic of Iran for two and a half years. I lived with Pedram. He and I were roommates in the basement of the Evin prison. We used to eat pizza on Fridays. He's a very nice guy. I like him a lot. One day, one of the roommates told me that Pedram was sentenced to death four times. It was very strange to me because Pedram was smiling from morning to night. They want to execute him tomorrow. In the last six months, he’s my 20th comrade from my prison ward, who under the threat of execution was transferred. If you are listening to this message, please support us as soon as possible. Be with us and repeat, that in this world, the death sentence is inhumane, and in this world, there should be no killing, legal or not. And tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and in the future, execution should not be carried out. Pedram has a future. Ismail Fekri has a future. Sharif Mohammadi has a future. Mohsen Langarnasheen had a future. And all the convicts of execution have a future. And tomorrow should not be a day of mourning.”
A Pattern of Repression
Madani’s execution follows the April hanging of Mohsen Langarneshin, also accused of working with Mossad and allegedly involved in the 2022 killing of an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) colonel. Rights groups say Langarneshin, like Madani, was subjected to torture and an unfair trial before being executed.
Over the course of the last year alone, more than ten Iranians have been executed for purportedly spying for Israel, all having confessed under serious torture.
Human Rights Watch and other international watchdogs have repeatedly called attention to Iran’s soaring execution rate. A recent HRW report noted that Iranian authorities have executed more than 113 people in the first 25 days of May alone.
Federico Borello, interim executive director of Human Rights Watch, condemned the scale and speed of the executions: “Iran's authorities have executed at least three people a day on average during the first five months of 2025. More dissidents and marginalized communities are falling victim to the government's repression and brutal anti-drug policy. This killing spree shows no signs of slowing down.”
He added, “There is an urgent need for the international community to press the Iranian government to halt all executions immediately and establish a moratorium on the death penalty.”
Hannah Neumann, Chair of EU’s Iran delegation also issued a statement:
