Hussain Hazbavi 
Iran has executed an architecture student convicted of spying for Israel, the judiciary announced, amid ongoing concerns from rights groups over his detention, trial, and allegations of torture.
Aqil Keshavarz, a student at Shahroud University and a native of Isfahan, was hanged after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, the judiciary said. The execution was confirmed by Mizan News Agency, the official outlet of the judiciary, which stated the sentence was carried out “after legal procedures were completed.”
Keshavarz’s family reportedly held their final visit with him at Urmia Central Prison the day before the execution. In the hours leading up to his death, student groups and human rights organizations warned that authorities appeared ready to implement the sentence, citing his transfer to solitary confinement.
According to rights groups, Keshavarz was arrested earlier this year during heightened security measures linked to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. He was moved to solitary confinement on December 17 in preparation for his execution. The family was summoned from Isfahan for a final visit, during which Keshavarz’s mother reportedly fainted due to extreme emotional distress, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.
