Babak Shahbazi, born in 1981, is a father of two, with children aged 18 and 12. Prior to his arrest, he was a heating and cooling systems technician with a specialized focus on data centers, including those operated by the Telecommunications Company of Iran. Shahbazi’s case has drawn international attention due to the controversial circumstances of his detention and subsequent conviction.
He was reportedly arrested in 2024 after sending a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the letter, Shahbazi allegedly offered to provide technical assistance to Ukraine during its ongoing war with Russia. This act, widely perceived as a form of dissent against the Iranian government’s alignment with Russia, quickly led to his detention and a series of grave charges.
Following his arrest, Shahbazi was brought before Judge Abolqasem Salavati, a figure often referred to as “the Judge of Death” by human rights activists for his history of issuing harsh sentences. Salavati, one of the most controversial and hardline judges within Iran’s Revolutionary Court system, convicted Shahbazi on charges of “espionage for Israel” and the capital offense of “corruption on earth.” These allegations, widely viewed by human rights organizations and legal experts as politically motivated and lacking any credible evidence, are often used by the Iranian regime to silence dissent and suppress opposition.
Shahbazi’s ordeal included undergoing compulsory confessions and severe torture to force him to admit to collaborating with Israel. Documentation and testimony shared with human rights organizations indicate that, despite enduring repeated violence and threats while in detention, Shahbazi staunchly resisted these coerced confessions. His unwavering refusal to falsely implicate himself casts further doubt on the integrity of the legal proceedings and highlights the brutal methods employed by the Iranian authorities.
Shahbazi’s case is not an isolated incident but rather a clear example of a broader and deeply troubling pattern of prosecutions in Iran. Authorities frequently use accusations of Israeli collaboration—a highly inflammatory charge in the Islamic Republic—to justify severe, and often capital, sentences. These accusations are routinely based on forced confessions and fabricated evidence, with the aim of eliminating political opponents and instilling fear in the population. The use of this fabricated accusation was intensified following the twelve-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025, during which the regime escalated its rhetoric and crackdown on alleged “spies.” This pattern of repression underscores a systemic disregard for due process and fundamental human rights within Iran’s judicial system.
