IRAN - Ayoub Mohammad Nabil sentenced to death

October 7, 2026 - IRAN. Ayoub Mohammad Nabil sentenced to death 

On espionage charge

Ayoub Mohammad Nabil, a 28-year-old Iraqi national, has been sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court on the charge of “waging war against God” over alleged “espionage for Saudi Arabia.”

Based on information received by Hengaw, Nabil, an Arab from Haditha, Iraq, was convicted of alleged “espionage for proxy groups backed by Saudi Arabia.” He was arrested in Fuman, Gilan Province, last year.

Nabil has denied any links to or cooperation with Saudi Arabia or affiliated groups. He maintains that the accusations were fabricated solely because he is a Sunni Muslim, has a beard, and taught the Quran to local children and teenagers in the guardroom where he worked.

Iranian Intelligence Department forces arrested Nabil in Fuman on August 26, 2025. He was held for five months and subjected to torture at an Intelligence Department detention facility in Rasht before being transferred to Lakan Prison, where he remains detained.

Before his arrest, Nabil was living legally in Iran and working as a caretaker at a private villa.