Roozbeh Vadi

Roozbeh Vadi, around 40 years old, was a gifted Iranian nuclear expert who worked at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran as a patriot developing peaceful nuclear technology, one of the country’s key and sensitive scientific institutions. He lived with his mother in their family home, which they had shared for over four decades, and had no significant personal assets or wealth. Despite his professional accomplishments, Roozbeh became the target of state accusations following an argument with his employer, which escalated into claims of espionage for Israel.

He was arrested approximately 18 months prior to his execution and detained under harsh conditions. During his imprisonment he suffered physical abuse, including broken ribs and legs, and was subjected to psychological pressure. Authorities used his mother’s detention and showed him images of her in custody to extract a forced confession, which was the only evidence cited in his case.

Roozbeh faced two trials in the Revolutionary Court, overseen by Judge Abolghasem Salavati. His death sentence was later confirmed by Salavati’s son, who also serves as a judge. Despite the long period of detention and the absence of credible evidence, Roozbeh was executed overnight on 6 August 2025, in the wake of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, a conflict during which Iran suffered missile strikes and the assassination of multiple nuclear scientists. Reports indicate he was executed by hanging, likely at Ghezelhesar Prison, Tehran.
His execution was part of a broader surge in death sentences handed down to those accused of collaborating with Israel. These cases have been widely criticized by human rights organizations as politically motivated and based on confessions obtained under duress. Roozbeh is remembered as a brilliant and innocent patriot scientist whose life was cut short by an unjust judicial process. His story highlights the severe risks faced by innocent people in Iran’s politically charged legal system, where trials lack due process and confessions are often extracted under coercion. He is one of more than 1,500 people executed in Iran since January 2025.
According to his cousin, Vahid Razavi, his forced confession video was broadcast on Iranian state television and circulated online. The video contains major omissions and inconsistencies, including the following:
• Roozbeh had been imprisoned for nearly 18 months before the 12-day war. The confession video never mentions this.
• He was the primary target in the Israeli airstrike on Evin Prison on June 23rd, which killed 79 people, including prisoners, guards, and staff, in the same ward where he was held.
• Several of his fellow nuclear scientists and colleagues had been killed by Israeli strikes in the weeks leading up to his death.
The confession video itself is entirely false and defies basic common sense. It claims he received a black bag full of cash as payment. In an age of digital transactions, why would a highly educated scientist accept cash in a bag? It also claims he transferred documents by copying sensitive files onto a hard drive or USB stick and handing them over on top of a toilet in a public park. This makes no sense when secure digital transfer platforms such as Signal or Telegram exist. The video also suggests he cooperated in exchange for the promise of a future trip, even though he had already traveled abroad to conferences in Vienna and elsewhere and never defected. Why would he stay in Iran if he had truly committed an act of espionage that carries the death penalty.
As a respected scientist, Roozbeh Vadi had the skills and reputation to live and work in any country. He stayed in Iran because he wanted to serve his homeland.