2nd LD: Iran hangs nuclear scientist on espionage charges

Iran's Judiciary on Sunday confirmed the execution of Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri on espionage charges, state IRIB TV reported.

"This person had access to the classified information of the establishment and had availed them to the enemy," Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei told reporters.

"He was tried in the competent courts and was sentenced to death," Mohseni Ejei was quoted as saying.

Mohseni Ejei said the U.S. authorities were deceived by Iranians over Shahram Amiri, adding that Iran's intelligence service was cognizant of what is happening between Amiri and the U.S. agents and was monitoring the process of transferring him to Saudi Arabia.

In June 2009, Amiri went missing during pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

One year later, he emerged in the Pakistani Embassy in Washington where he was taking refuge, and demanded immediately return to Iran.

Upon his arrival in Tehran in July 2010, Amiri said that he was abducted by the U.S. intelligence service Central Intelligence Agency and thanked Iranian authorities for returning him home.

The U.S. denied the claims and said Amiri willfully defected to the U.S. and later chose to leave. Endit