Islamic Republic puts another political prisoner to death
The Islamic Republic executed another political prisoner in Urmia prison on Sunday, the judiciary reported, identifying him as Mehrab Abdollahzadeh.
The Islamic Republic executed another political prisoner in Urmia prison on Sunday, the judiciary reported, identifying him as Mehrab Abdollahzadeh.
Born in 1997 in Urmia, he had been arrested on October 22, 2022 during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.
The judiciary said Abdollahzadeh had been sentenced to death on charges of “corruption on earth” in connection with the killing of Abbas Fatemiyeh, described as a “volunteer force” member in Urmia.
Mizan, the judiciary’s media outlet, said the conviction was based on confessions, witness testimony, images and security reports, adding that the Supreme Court upheld the sentence.
He was executed after previously saying in a message from prison, “From the very first day of my arrest, they extracted confessions from me through torture and threats, all of which were false.”
Rights groups cite coercion concerns
Rights organizations also said the case relied on forced confessions obtained under pressure and lacked fair trial guarantees.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network said Abdollahzadeh was interrogated for 38 days without access to a lawyer or family contact and faced physical and psychological pressure.
The group added he denied the charges and requested mobile location data to challenge his presence at the scene.
Timeline and broader executions
Abdollahzadeh was arrested at his workplace during nationwide protests and later sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in Urmia in September 2024.
Rights groups reported he was moved to solitary confinement days before the execution following a dispute with a prison official.
The execution came after two other men were hanged in the same prison a day earlier on charges of spying for Israel, with rights groups raising concerns over fast-track proceedings and lack of due process.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said this week that at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security charges since the latest conflict in February, warning that rights in Iran continue to face severe restrictions.
"I am appalled that – on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict – the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways," Turk said.
