Full Breakdown
Iran Issues Death Sentences in Controversial “Ekbatan” Trial and Executions of Alleged Spies
5/27/2026, 1:12:58 AM
Recent Executions and Death Sentences
This week Iranian authorities executed Gholamreza Khani Shekarab, labeled a Mossad operative, and Mojtaba Kian, accused of aiding Israeli and U.S. networks. Judge Abolghasem Salavati then sentenced Milad Armoun, Navid Najaran, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini and Mehdi Imani to death for their alleged role in the killing of Basij member Arman Aliverdi.
2022 Protests and the “Ekbatan” Trial
The death sentences are linked to the 2022 protests after Mahsa Amini’s death, during which Basij member Arman Aliverdi suffered fatal head trauma. Authorities have not identified the attacker, and the current “Ekbatan” trial targets four of the eight originally held responsible.
Key Figures and Judicial Process
Judge Abolghasem Salavati, head of Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court and dubbed the “judge of death,” has overseen the case. He has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019 for issuing many death sentences. Defendants were tried on “corruption on earth” (efsad-fil-arz) after earlier “moharebeh” accusations were withdrawn.
Official Statements from the Judiciary
The Mizan Online portal called Shekarab a Mossad agent ordered to assassinate an Iranian rabbi and described Kian as a supplier of defense-industry coordinates to hostile networks. It charged the four protesters with “corruption on earth” for allegedly providing information that led to Aliverdi’s death. Fars News termed the operation against Shekarab a “complex luring.”
Criticism, Opposition, and Conflicting Reports
Lawyer Mohammad Hossein Aghasi told *Emtedad* that neither he nor Milad Armoun received the ruling or charge details, and that Armoun spent months in solitary confinement and was forced to repeat statements under threat to his family. Human-rights groups call the trial a sham. Rudaw says security forces abducted Shekarab, while Fars News claims he was “lured.” Judiciary cannot confirm who caused Aliverdi’s fatal injury, and the “moharebeh” charge was reportedly swapped for “efsad-fil-arz” without notice.
Implications and International Response
The United States maintains sanctions on Judge Salavati for delivering harsh sentences, including many death sentences, to political prisoners, human-rights activists, and peaceful demonstrators. Human-rights groups have described the trial as a sham.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was kept in a solitary cell for months. I never possessed a weapon, nor did I strike Arman Aliverdi. The interrogators told me exactly what to say in front of the camera, warning that, if I did not repeat their words, my family would be arrested.” — Milad Armoun, Defendant
- “Milad has been sentenced to death on the charge of moharebeh (enmity against God), despite the fact that the charge of moharebeh had essentially been dropped from the case and amended to efsad-fil-arz,” — Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, Legal Counsel
- “the Zionist regime does not hesitate to even sacrifice Jews to advance its nefarious goals and accuse Iran of antisemitic acts.” — Mizan Online judiciary website
