Two Iranian men were executed today in Tehran’s Evin Prison, one for allegedly spying for Israel and the other for belonging to a group dedicated to the violent overthrow of the Islamic revolution.
According to the Iranian government news agency IRNA, Ali Akbar Siadat was found guilty of working for Mossad, Israel’s secret intelligence service.
Mr. Siadat had established relations with Mossad starting in 2005, and was arrested in 2008 while trying to flee Iran along with his wife, according to IRNA.
“Siadat had been commissioned to dispatch the top secret, classified information of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Tel Aviv for 60 thousand US dollars,” said an IRNA report released today.
The Iranian government’s English language news network Press TV said that before Siadat was executed he confessed to relaying information on Iranian military bases to “enemies.” He also admitted to having “links with foreigners while trying to conduct trade activities before establishing contacts with one Israeli embassy overseas.”
Siyadat had admitted to meeting Israeli intelligence agents in public places such as hotels in Turkey, Thailand and the Netherlands.
He also acknowledged receiving 3,000 to 7,000 [US] dollars for submitting information about the number of Iranian operational planes, daily training and operational flights from different bases, the number of air accidents and their causes, as well as system information on different aircraft and missiles belonging to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said the Press TV story
On December 26, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi had announced that an alleged spy for Israel would be executed. “This person who worked as a spy for Israel has been sentenced to death. The sentence will be carried out after judicial and executive processes,” Press TV reported.
Independent journalism is important. Click here to get Truthout stories sent to your email.
Ali Saremi was executed along with Siadat today. Mr. Saremi was accused of being a member of the Mujahideen-e Khalq (MKO), a militant group committed to overthrowing the Iranian government.
It is not uncommon for Iranian authorities to accuse Israel of scheming against Iran and carrying out hostile actions against the country, including espionage against the armed forces and nuclear program, the BBC reports.
In October, Iranian security arrested seven individuals, accused of collaborating with Israeli intelligence services with the country, according to Press TV. And in 2008, Iran executed Ali Ashtari, another Iranian citizen convicted of espionage and accused of sending information to Mossad on his country’s nuclear program.
Israel and Iran have been enemies since the Iranian Islamic revolution in 1979, however rising tensions between the two countries have increased hostilities in recent years.
Israel has not released an official comment on Siadat’s execution, reports the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $81,000 in one-time donations and to add 1250 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy