January 26, 2025 – Iranian political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani are facing the imminent threat of execution after being transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison. Their cases have drawn international condemnation and calls for urgent intervention to prevent these executions.
Behrouz Ehsani, a 70-year-old political dissident, was arrested in December 2022 and subjected to severe torture during his detention in Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Despite enduring unimaginable hardships, he remained defiant, issuing a statement before his sentencing:
“This execution-driven regime cannot offer anything else. I will not bargain over my life with anyone and am ready to sacrifice my insignificant life for the liberation of the Iranian people.”
Mehdi Hassani, 48, a father of three, was detained in September 2024 in Zanjan and also subjected to brutal torture. Both men were charged with “rebellion against the state,” “enmity against God,” “spreading corruption on earth,” membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), and “illegal possession of firearms.” Their death sentences, issued by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court in September 2024, were upheld by the Supreme Court on January 7, 2025.
The transfer of Ehsani and Hassani to Ghezel Hesar Prison has raised alarm about their potential execution at any moment. In response, inmates in Ward 4 of Evin Prison organized a protest, chanting slogans like:
- “This is the final message; if you execute, there will be an uprising!”
- “Death to the dictator!”
- “By the blood of our comrades, we stand to the end!”
These protests underscore the rising tension and resistance within Iran’s prisons as the regime continues its campaign of repression through executions.
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have condemned the regime’s actions, highlighting the lack of fair trials and the use of torture to extract forced confessions. Amnesty has urgently called for the death sentences of both men to be overturned and for global intervention to save their lives.
Call for Action:
Human rights defenders and activists are urging the international community to act decisively and pressure the Iranian government to halt these executions. The escalating use of capital punishment in Iran demands immediate global attention to prevent further loss of innocent lives.