Iran Executes Iranian-Swedish Dissident Habib Shaab on Terrorism Charges

Shafaq News/ Iran executed Habib Shaab, an Iranian-Swedish dissident, on charges of terrorism. The execution took place at dawn, according to the Fares agency. Shaab, also known as Habib Asiud, was accused of being the leader of the Struggle Movement and the mastermind behind a terrorist attack on an Armed Forces parade in Ahwaz in 2018, resulting in numerous casualties.

Iranian security forces arrested Shaab in October 2020 in Turkey. The Struggle Movement, a separatist organization operating in Iran's Khuzestan Province, was allegedly led by Shaab since 2005.

The Fares agency claimed that Shaab received intelligence support from the Israeli Mossad and intelligence services in Sweden and other regional countries. Iranian authorities consider the Struggle Movement, a terrorist organization and hold it responsible for various attacks, including a deadly explosion that killed approximately 30 people.

Shaab, who resided in Sweden, went missing in October 2020 after traveling to Istanbul. He reappeared a month later in detention in Iran, as shown in a video broadcast on state television. His trial on charges of terrorism and corruption began in January 2022, and in December of the same year, the Iranian judiciary announced his death sentence.

It is worth noting that recorded confessions, including those made by Shaab, are common in Iran but are widely condemned by human rights organizations. These organizations accuse Iranian authorities of extracting confessions through torture.

Shaab held Swedish citizenship while living in exile in Sweden. However, since Iran does not recognize dual nationality, Sweden's request for consular access to him was denied.