By Cecilia Odey
Iran said it has executed two men convicted of espionage, according to the judiciary news outlet — Mizan News Agency, on Monday.
The executions were carried out at dawn, the report said.
The sentences had been issued by a revolutionary court in the city of Karaj, near the capital Tehran.
Iranian authorities accused the two men of spying for Israel’s foreign intelligence service, the Mossad.
Details surrounding their arrest and the timing of the verdicts were not immediately disclosed.
Human rights organisations have long criticised Iran’s use of the death penalty, alleging that executions are used as a means of intimidation.
According to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran last year, marking the highest number recorded in 35 years. (dpa/NAN)
