Amid the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel, the Iranian authorities on Tuesday executed former MMA champion, coach, and international referee Gholamreza Khani Shakarab on charges of espionage and suspected links to the Israeli intelligence agency, according to reports.

Shakarab, an ethnic Azerbaijani Turk who was from Ardabil, an ancient city in the northwestern part of Iran, was detained by Iranian authorities in 2025 during a religious pilgrimage to Iraq. The 34-year-old was kept at Tehran’s Evin Prison for months before his move to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

The initial execution judgment was passed by Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “espionage and collaboration with a hostile state (Israel).”

The death sentence was then subsequently upheld by Branch 39 of Iran’s Supreme Court on May 25, following which the execution proceedings were fast-tracked.

The judiciary’s online website, Mizan, described Shakarab as one of the “operational ringleaders” for Mossad, alleging that he recruited individuals inside Iran as per Mossad’s order to carry out what the website labeled as “anti-security actions.” The website further claimed that Israel’s intelligence agency tasked the former MMA fighter with traveling to a regional country and preparing an alleged assassination attempt on a Jewish rabbi, which the website implied was part of a plot “to accuse Iran of anti-Jewish actions.”

Mizan further reported that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence forces used “complex intelligence and deception tactics” to identify and lure the accused, who was living in Turkey at the time, back into Iran, before ultimately detaining him.

While it is not yet known under which specific organization he was an MMA champion, the Iranian authorities leaned heavily into his profile as a well-known athlete and international referee to justify their espionage narrative. They publicly argued that Gholamreza Khani Shakarab used his high-profile involvement in the sports field and his frequent, legitimate athletic travel to neighboring countries to establish contact and collaborate with Mossad handlers abroad.

Shakarab’s execution also comes just months after Iran reportedly executed another wrestler from the country linked to UFC fighter King Green’s team.

Following the death of the former MMA champion, human rights organizations and commissions have reacted strongly to the increasing number of executions reportedly being carried out by the Iranian government. 

Human Rights Commission criticizes Iran over high number of executions

Noticing the ongoing executions carried out by the Iranian government, Amnesty International reported the staggering execution figures that have sharply risen over the past couple of years. According to the organization’s report, Iran holds the second-highest execution rate in the world, only behind China.

Amnesty’s report revealed that execution numbers surged worldwide in 2025, with the organization holding Iran responsible for the majority of the increase. Furthermore, the organization’s annual findings indicated that Iran carried out 2,159 executions last year, more than double the number recorded the previous year. Looking at the alarming rise, the organization’s secretary strongly criticized the Iranian regime.

“A shameless minority are weaponizing the death penalty to instill fear, crush dissent and punish marginalized communities,” Secretary General of Amnesty International Agnès Callamard stated earlier this month. 

It remains nothing short of heartbreaking to see people continue losing their lives amid the ongoing war, further deepening the fear, grief, and distress surrounding the conflict.