Iran has taken a dramatic step by executing a nuclear scientist, alleging that he was involved in espionage for Israel. This is part of Tehran’s broader approach to handling what it sees as foreign meddling in its affairs.
Roozbeh Vadi received the death penalty after being found guilty of leaking information related to another scientist, who was tragically killed during Israeli airstrikes on Tehran last June, as per the judiciary’s report on Mizan.
The execution was conducted via hanging, and reports indicate that Vadi had worked as a nuclear expert at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. His imprisonment at Evin Prison in Tehran lasted since his arrest in February 2024, according to the Iran Human Rights organization.
Mizan has stated that Vadi was recruited online by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, and he allegedly shared confidential information while meeting with agents in Vienna on five separate occasions.
In June, Israel executed a historic offensive named Operation Rising Lion, which unleashed over 900 airstrikes aimed at what it called the core of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The operation lasted for 12 days and had catastrophic consequences for Iranian security forces, with numerous top commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) being killed, alongside at least a dozen senior nuclear scientists and hundreds of others.
Mossad has conducted extensive intelligence-gathering efforts that enabled infiltration into Iran’s missile and nuclear initiatives, acquiring crucial details concerning targets and smuggling in drone technology and explosives prior to the initial strike in June.
Following the onslaught, Tehran has initiated rigorous measures to reestablish control and legitimacy in the aftermath of such devastation.
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence has mentioned it is under continuous attack from what it describes as Western and Israeli intelligence agencies, specifically naming the CIA, Mossad, and MI6.
In light of the latest events, authorities have been on high alert, carrying out significant arrests and executing multiple individuals accused of collaborating with Israeli operators. In just the last two weeks, three individuals were executed for allegedly smuggling in equipment intended for assassinations on behalf of Israel.
Concerns have been raised by human rights organizations regarding these developments, emphasizing that Iran’s historic trend of enforcing confessions under duress and holding dubious trials stripped of due process could jeopardize justice.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, who heads Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), highlighted that the actions executed by Iran’s Revolutionary Court seem primarily aimed at instilling fear in society and distracting from the rampant corruption and systemic flaws within the government.
Accused spies often face the death penalty without proper legal representation, subjected to an opaque and unjust process,” he noted further.
According to various human rights advocates, including those from Amnesty International, Iran ranks as the second-largest executioner worldwide, following China.
