A game designer has been sentenced to death in Iran after being charged with creating US propaganda under instruction from the CIA, according to a report on Gamasutra.

Ex-US Marine soldier Amir Mizra Hekmati was detained by Iranian authorities during a family visit to Iran in August. Hekmati is a designer on the free to play Kuma\War series, which is regularly updated with new missions based on recent military actions.

The ruling was dealt by the Islamic Revolutionary Court, who claim that Hekmati has confessed to 'receiving money from the CIA to (produce) and design and distribute for free special movies and games with the aim of manipulating public opinion in the Middle East.' The Tehran Times describes an Iranian television appearance in which Hekmati says he is part of a US spy network, and suggests that the CIA funded Kuma’s games.