TEHRAN – The Iranian minister of defense says a CIA spy who was recently hanged in Iran received the treatment he deserved.

“We have said many a time, what suits people who commit treason is just what the Aerospace Organization did to this spy and we thank the organization for what they did,” Amir Hatami said on Monday.

On Saturday sources in Iran reported that prisoner Jamal Haji-Zavareh, who was charged with spying for the United States, had been executed the previous Monday.

Haji-Zavareh, an employee of the Ministry of Defense Aerospace Organization who had been retired in 2010, had clearly confessed to spying for the U.S. government and the CIA and was found in possession of espionage documents and equipment, the Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran reported.

The statement said the spy’s case had been addressed by the military court and then referred for approval to the Supreme Court. 

Jamal’s wife, Leila Tajik, was found to having assisted him and is sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment. 

Hatami on Monday said although Haji-Zavareh had been retired, he later started spying for the U.S.

SP/PA