Nasim Namazi was hanged at dawn for “spying for Israel”, while last night the death penalty had already been carried out for three other prisoners convicted of the same charge, Vafa Hanareh, Aram Omari and Rahman Parhazo. After her arrest in 2022, the Iranian judiciary found her guilty of “war crimes and corruption through collaboration with the Zionist regime” for “moharebeh” – enmity against God – and “corruption on earth”. According to the Tehran judiciary, the four prisoners hanged in Urmia prison in northwestern Iran “committed numerous acts against the security of the country on the orders of the Mossad.”
Their tasks include identifying members of the Iranian intelligence services and collecting information about them in exchange for money from the Israeli intelligence services for several missions in West Azerbaijan, Tehran and Hormozgan provinces. Six other people involved in the same case were sentenced to ten years in prison. Just two weeks ago, the death penalty was carried out in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan for another prisoner who was also convicted of collaborating with the Mossad. According to Norway-based NGO Hengaw, Iran's executions are “revenge” against Israel for the killing of Seyed Razi Mousavi, a key member of the Revolutionary Guard, in Syria in recent days.
The case of Pasdaran, who was killed in a raid on the Golan Heights on Monday, has further increased tensions between Iran and Israel, which were already very high due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Tehran spoke of a “terrorist” action and immediately declared that Mousavi's assassination would not go unanswered and promised “revenge” against Israel. In recent weeks, the Islamic Republic had already reported – also to the UN – another attack in Syria attributed to Israel, which led to the death of two Iranian advisors on December 2nd. Also last night, according to reconstructions that have not yet been officially confirmed, eleven key members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed in an attack on Damascus. The raid hit the Pasdaran as they were at the Syrian capital's airport to greet a delegation. The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in eastern Syria, Nawzat Rashid, was also injured in the attack.
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