International Community Urges Iran to Stop Executions of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani

The international community is intensifying its calls for Iran to halt the imminent executions of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. The two men, sentenced to death for charges including “rebellion” and “waging war against God” through their alleged membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, have faced trials marred by allegations of torture and coerced confessions.

Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, has urged Iranian authorities to stop these executions, emphasizing that they violate international human rights law. The UN Special Procedures have also echoed this call, highlighting the need for fair trials and the illegality of executing individuals for broadly defined national security offenses.

Behrouz Ehsani, a 70-year-old former political prisoner from the 1980s, and Mehdi Hassani, a 48-year-old father of three, were transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison in late January, raising concerns about their imminent execution. Amnesty International has condemned their sentences as grossly unjust and demanded their immediate revocation.

The Iranian Resistance and human rights organizations are pressing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international bodies to take urgent action to prevent these executions. The situation underscores the broader pattern of Iran’s use of the death penalty to suppress dissent, with a significant rise in executions in recent years.