Five More Political Prisoners Hanged in Iran as Use of Death Penalty to Crush Dissent Surges

Executions Follow Sham Trials and “Confessions” Extracted Under Torture

At Least 50 Political Prisoners Now Facing Execution in Iran, Including Three Women

April 9, 2025 — At dawn on Tuesday, April 8, the Islamic Republic executed five more political prisoners without any notice to their families or granting them a final visit. The five men were executed after sham trials tainted by severe due process violations, lack of evidence, and the systematic use of torture.

This gruesome act marks yet another escalation in Iran’s increasing use of the death penalty to crush dissent. At least 50 political prisoners are known to now be facing execution in Iran, and this number includes three women. (See list below.)

“Five more men are dead, with many more being lined up for the gallows behind them, after sham trials that lacked any semblance of legality or fairness,” said Behnam Daraeizadeh, senior researcher and legal expert at the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

“These executions highlight the urgent need to keep human rights violations—and the regime’s systematic and increasing use of the death penalty to terrorize society—at the forefront of all diplomatic engagement, dialogue, and negotiations with the Iranian authorities,” said Daraeizadeh.

The five political prisoners—Farhad Shakri, Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, Taj Mohammad Khermali, and Malik Ali Fadaei Nasab—were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Four of those executed were minority Sunni Muslims, and one—Fadaei Nasab—was Shia. 

Family members of the executed prisoners told the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) that they were informed of the executions only by phone and were still awaiting the release of the bodies. 

An informed source told CHRI that the families of the executed prisoners had gathered outside Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, demanding the return of their loved ones’ bodies, but the security atmosphere around the prison was extremely tense.

CHRI calls on the UN and governments worldwide to summon Iranian diplomats and demand:

• An immediate halt to all pending executions, given the serious violations of law in these judicial proceedings;
• A moratorium on the use of the death penalty in Iran, given the systematic violations of due process and fair trial rights in Iran;
• An end to the targeting of minorities with severe rights abuses and state violence, which includes hugely disproportionate executions;
• An end to the use of vague political and religious charges in political cases that are impermissible under international law and can carry the death penalty;
• Warn that officials involved in these unlawful executions, including judges, will be sanctioned.

Background

The executed individuals were part of a group of 12 defendants arrested in 2015 by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and later charged with “baghi” (armed rebellion), a vaguely defined charge often used to suppress dissent. All were convicted in connection with alleged membership in Sunni Salafi and other opposition groups, a charge the defendants and their families consistently denied.

According to a source close to the families who spoke with HRANA, the case was marred by severe irregularities, including the use of torture. One prisoner was reportedly tortured with pepper spray applied to his rectum, causing injuries that lasted for years.

In January 2025, Farhad Shakri, Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, and Abdolrahman Gorgij were among three other Sunni prisoners who smuggled a letter out of prison revealing systematic violence, inhumane treatment, and the deliberate destruction of evidence by prison authorities in Iran.

“They brazenly beat political and religious prisoners using their loyalists in the prison service. They erase footage from the prison’s surveillance cameras and claim these are lies told by prisoners about regime officials,” the letter states.

In 2019, nine of the defendants in the case were sentenced to death by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Three of them were executed in 2020. Following a partial review by Iran’s Supreme Court, the case was sent back for retrial. In August 2022, six more individuals, including the five executed today, were re-sentenced to death. Their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023.

Alarming Escalation of Death Sentences for Political Prisoners

The executions of these five political prisoners are part of an alarming surge in political executions in Iran. The Islamic Republic is increasingly using the death penalty as a tool of repression against protesters, dissidents, and oppressed minority communities after sham trials and forced “confessions” that have been extracted under torture.

Currently, at least 50 political prisoners are facing executions, including three women, Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, and Varisheh Moradi, and six protesters from the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.

Iran’s Hangings Violate Every International Standard on Capital Punishment

In 2024 alone, executions in Iran surged to nearly 1,000 known hangings (there were likely many more, as many executions go unreported), making the country the world’s leading executioner per capita. According to Amnesty International, 64% of all known executions worldwide in 2024 were in Iran. These executions violated every international standard on the application of the death penalty. For example:

• Those executed for political “crimes” were typically prosecuted under vague, catch-all political or religious charges that are not permissible under international law.
• Many of those hanged were convicted of drug-related offenses, which do not meet international thresholds of the “most serious crimes” required for capital punishment. In 2024, more than half of all executions were for drug offenses.
• The death penalty is disproportionally used against members of minority communities; in 2024, more than 20% of those sent to the gallows were members of minority groups.
• Iran is also one of the very few countries that execute children and juvenile offenders.
• Iran’s executions routinely follow prosecutions marred by denial of counsel and other due process violations, and “confessions” that have been extracted under torture.

“Silence in the face of these state-sanctioned killings only fuels further deaths and brutality by the Islamic Republic’s killing machine,” said Daraeizadeh.

“Governments engaging with the Islamic Republic on every front, including the nuclear file, must urgently speak for those unjustly facing the gallows in Iran and demand an end to the use of the death penalty to silence dissent,” Daraeizadeh added.

The following is a list of known political prisoners currently facing the death penalty in Iran:

1. Sharifeh Mohammadi – Prison: Lakan Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Rasht Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence.
2. Varisheh Moradi – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi (armed rebellion), Court: Branch 15, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence.
3. Pakhshan Azizi – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
4. Akbar Daneshvar-Kar – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
5. Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence.
6. Babak Alipour – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence.
7. Pouya Ghobadi Bistoni – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
8. Vahid Bani-Amerian – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence.
9. Seyed Abolhasan Montazer – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence.
10. Eido Shah-Bakhsh – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
11. Abdolghani Shah-Bakhsh – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
12. Abdolrahim Ghanbarzahi Gorgij (Rahim Mirbaloch) – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
13. Soleiman Shah-Bakhsh – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
14. Milad Armoun – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Participation in murder and assault, Court: Branch 13, Tehran Criminal Court One, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
15. Alireza Kafaei – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
16. Amir Mohammad Khosh-Eghbal – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Participation in murder and assault, Court: Branch 13, Tehran Criminal Court One, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
17. Navid Najaran – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Participation in murder and assault, Court: Branch 13, Tehran Criminal Court One, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
18. Hossein Nemati – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Participation in murder and assault, Court: Branch 13, Tehran Criminal Court One, Case Status: Death sentence.
19. Alireza Barmarz Pournak – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Participation in murder and assault, Court: Branch 13, Tehran Criminal Court One, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
20. Edris Ali – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Espionage, Court: Branch 3, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
21. Azad Shojaei – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Espionage, Court: Branch 3, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
22. Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Espionage, Court: Branch 3, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
23. Behrooz Ehsani – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
24. Mehdi Hassani – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 26, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
25. Hamid Hossein-Nezhad Heidaranlou – Prison: Urmia Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 1, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence referred to Supreme Court.
26. Hatem Özdemir – Prison: Urmia Prison, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Court: Branch 3, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
27. Mehrab (Mehran) Abdollahzadeh – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Baghi, Case Status: Initial death sentence after arrest during 2022 protests.
28. Naser Bekrzadeh – Prison: Urmia Prison, Main Charge: Espionage, Court: Branch 3, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
29. Shahin Vasaf – Prison: Urmia Prison, Main Charge: Espionage, Court: Branch 3, Urmia Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
30. Shahriar Bayat – Prison: Tehran, Main Charge: Blasphemy, Court: Branch 13, Tehran Criminal Court One, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
31. Farshid Hassan Zahi – Prison: Zahedan, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Court: Branch 1, Zahedan Criminal Court, Case Status: Death sentence referred to the Supreme Court.
32. Mohammad Zeyneddini – Prison: Zahedan, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Court: Branch 1, Zahedan Criminal Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
33. Adham Naroui – Prison: Zahedan, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
34. Mohammad Javad Vafaei Thani – Prison: Mashhad, Main Charge: Corruption on earth, Court: Branch 2, Mashhad Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence reissued after retrials in September 2023.
35. Abbas Deris – Prison: Mahshahr, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Court: Branch 1, Mahshahr Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
36. Ahmadreza Jalali – Prison: Evin Prison, Main Charge: Espionage, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
37. Yousef Ahmadi – Prison: Sanandaj, Main Charge: Baghi, Court: Branch 1, Sanandaj Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
38. Mohammad Mehdi Soleimani – Prison: Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, Main Charge: Killing a Basij member, Court: Branch 5, Khorasan Razavi Criminal Court One, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
39. Ali Mojdam – Prison: Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Leadership in Baghi group, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence under review by the Supreme Court.
40. Mohammadreza Moghadam – Prison: Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Leadership in Baghi group, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence under review by the Supreme Court.
41. Moein Khanfari – Prison: Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Membership in Baghi group, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence under review by the Supreme Court.
42. Adnan Ghobeishavi – Prison: Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Membership in Baghi group, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence under review by the Supreme Court.
43. Salem Mousavi – Prison: Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Membership in Baghi group, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence under review by the Supreme Court.
44. Habib Deris – Prison: Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Membership in Baghi group, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence under review by the Supreme Court.
45. Isa Eidmohammadi – Prison: Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, Main Charge: Baghi through membership in a Salafi group, Court: Branch 4, Mashhad Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
46. Malek Davarshenas (Seyed Malek Mousavi) – Prison: Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Baghi through setting fire to a Basij base, Court: Branch 2, Dezful Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
47. Ali Obeidavi – Prison: Mahshahr Prison, Main Charge: Attack on a Basij base, Court: Mahshahr Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
48. Saman Mohammadi Kheyareh – Prison: Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Court: Branch 15, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence after retrial.
49. Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh – Prison: Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, Main Charge: Collaboration with a hostile government, Court: Branch 15, Tehran Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Initial death sentence.
50. Abbas (Mojahed) Korkor (Korkouri) – Prison: Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, Main Charge: Moharebeh, Court: Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, Case Status: Death sentence after retrial.