Iranian prisoner accused of spying for Israel faces imminent execution

Political prisoner Pedram Madani is facing imminent execution in Iran after being resentenced to death for alleged espionage for Israel, drawing sharp rebukes from rights groups and public figures.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nargess Mohammadi described the case as “a blatant act of injustice,” citing what she called coerced confessions, denial of legal representation and a biased judicial process.

“Pedram was denied a lawyer of his choosing. His confession was extracted under pressure and torture in solitary confinement,” Mohammadi wrote on Instagram.

“They hang innocent youths by the neck while knowing full well the confessions were false and the prisoner, even under their own laws, does not deserve the death penalty.”

Madani, who is around 40 years old, was arrested in 2019 on charge of spying for Israel and sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court on charges of “corruption on earth.”

According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the death sentence three times, but each time the case was reassigned to other courts which reinstated the verdict.

Madani was moved Sunday from Tehran’s Evin Prison to Ghezelhesar Prison, and his family was summoned for a final visit—moves widely interpreted as indicators of imminent execution.

“Death sentences in Iran, especially on charges such as espionage, are issued and carried out without any due process. These executions are extrajudicial killings that the international community should not remain indifferent to,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of IHR.

Madani’s case has triggered renewed calls for action from civil society and former detainees.

The official support account for Olivier Grondeau, a French national recently freed from Iranian detention, posted, “Three times, his death sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court. Yet, he is scheduled to be executed tomorrow. We demand the immediate cancellation of his execution.”

From Evin Prison, civil activist Mehdi Mahmoudian said Madani was previously misled with false promises of clemency from intelligence agencies.

Mahmoudian described Madani as the third inmate in a month to be removed from Evin’s Ward 4 for execution, warning of a “terrifying pattern of accelerated capital sentences.”

Iran late last month executed Mohsen Langarneshin, a 32-year-old network security engineer accused of helping Israel carry out assassinations and bomb attacks. However, a prominent activist, human rights groups and a leaked call from the condemned prisoner indicated the charges were false.

At least 113 executions have been recorded in the first 25 days of 2025, IHR said, underscoring what it calls a deepening execution crisis.

“As long as executions go on,” the Grondeau support group wrote, “every day in Iran will be a day of mourning.”