Iranian political prisoner Ehsan Faridi has been sentenced to death on charges of “spreading corruption on earth,” a ruling quietly issued months ago but only recently made public, according to information obtained by Iran International.
Faridi, a 22-year-old student from the northwestern city of Tabriz, was studying manufacturing engineering at the University of Tabriz when he was first arrested by Iran’s Law Enforcement Intelligence Organization in March 2024.
He was released on bail after nearly a month in detention, only to be re-arrested in June that year after appearing before Branch 15 of the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office, which handles so-called national security cases.
His death sentence was handed down in February 2025 by Judge Ali Sheykhlou of Branch 3 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, a figure known for issuing harsh rulings against dissidents.
The verdict was based on reports from the police intelligence unit and an indictment issued by a prosecutor who was later sacked for corruption. The ruling was delivered despite objections raised by Faridi and his lawyer, and without what sources describe as sufficient evidence.
Corrupt prosecutor
Faridi's indictment had been issued by Ali Mousavi Aghdam, a former prosecutor for Branch 15 of the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office.
Aghdam was arrested in November 2024 — less than three months after filing the charges — for forming a corruption ring within the judiciary, accepting bribes, forging documents, and fabricating cases. He was later convicted and dismissed from the judiciary.
Faridi's case is currently under review by Iran’s Supreme Court. According to a source familiar with the proceedings, the lack of credible evidence in the file and the court's past record of overturning similar sentences issued by Judge Sheykhlou has given Faridi’s family hope that the ruling will be annulled.
Faridi had already been sentenced to six months in prison on a separate charge of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” prior to the death penalty case.
The revelation comes amid a surge in executions in Iran, particularly targeting political prisoners. Human rights groups reported that at least 230 people — including 8 women — were executed across Iranian prisons in the first three months of 2025, more than double the number from the same period the previous year.
As of early May, human rights monitors estimate that around 60 individuals facing political or security-related charges are currently on death row in Iran.
The annual AAM Awards recognize "outstanding leaders whose work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate, and empower."
Iran International was recognized for its efforts in bringing the voices of the Iranian people to a global audience and its commitment to accurate and transparent reporting.
This year’s recipients also included Dr. Mathias Döpfner, chairman and CEO of Axel Springer SE—parent company of Politico and Business Insider—and a board member at Netflix; Oscar-nominated Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri, known for The Insult and The Attack; and Moira Forbes, president and publisher of Forbes Women.
Republican Senator Dave McCormick, US presidential deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, French Ambassador Laurent Bili, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Egyptian Ambassador Motaz Zahran, and Azerbaijani Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim were among notable guests attending the event held at Fairmont hotel.
The AAM initiative celebrates those who contribute to media education, empowerment, and impactful storytelling, especially in challenging environments. The ceremony gathers diplomats, politicians, and cultural figures from around the world to highlight the importance of dialogue and press freedom.
Receiving the award, the executive editor of Iran International in Washington DC Mehdi Parpanchi said, “Iran International is right now the most-watched news channel among Iranians—inside the country and across the diaspora. And we are the only 24/7 newsroom fully dedicated to covering Iran."
“That’s not a technical setup—it’s a line of communication in the dark," he added.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Parpanchi dedicated the award to the network’s audience and said a significant portion of the channel’s content is drawn from firsthand accounts sent by citizens across Iran.
In May 2024, Iran International was awarded with the 2024 Geneva Summit Courage Award for "fearlessly uncovering the daily abuses of the Islamic Republic of Iran."