Kourosh Keyvani executed on charges of “spying for Israel”
Hengaw – Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Iranian authorities have executed political prisoner Kourosh Keyvani, on charges of “spying for Israel,” as the region enters the nineteenth day of ongoing military conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the execution was carried out at dawn on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. Keyvani, a resident of Savojbolagh in Alborz Province, had been sentenced to death on charges of “spying for a hostile state.”
Keyvani was arrested on June 16, 2025, during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. He was later convicted and sentenced to death by the Iranian judiciary. However, no detailed information has been made public regarding the evidence presented against him or the legal proceedings leading to his conviction.
The judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency confirmed the execution but failed to disclose key details, including the circumstances of the arrest, the conduct of the trial, or whether Keyvani had access to independent legal representation—raising serious concerns about due process violations.
His execution comes amid a broader pattern of escalating use of the death penalty in Iran, particularly under the cover of heightened security conditions linked to ongoing military tensions.
According to Hengaw’s data, at least 18 individuals accused of spying for Israel have been executed in Iran since the outbreak of the 12-day war. Such cases are frequently marked by opaque judicial procedures, forced confessions, and restricted access to legal counsel.
Hengaw expresses grave concern that Iranian authorities are once again exploiting wartime conditions and national security narratives to justify an intensification of executions and political repression. The execution of Kourosh Keyvani may signal the onset of a new wave of executions targeting political prisoners and individuals accused of security-related offenses, particularly in the final days of the Iranian calendar year.
