Amnesty International has issued an urgent call for Iranian authorities to immediately overturn the death sentences of political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who face imminent execution following deeply flawed trials. The organization is urging international pressure to stop the executions and ensure the men receive fair retrials in accordance with international legal standards.
Behrouz Ehsani & Mehdi Hassani are at imminent risk of execution in Iran after a grossly unfair trial marred by allegations of torture and other ill-treatment to extract forced “confessions”. Iran's authorities must halt their executions & release them NOW https://t.co/Ph4Q4GYi3q pic.twitter.com/teiyn2s2nA
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) February 27, 2025
Ehsani, 69, and Hassani, 48, are currently held in Ghezel Hesar prison in Alborz province, with fears that their executions could take place in secret. Their request for a judicial review was rejected by Iran’s Supreme Court on February 23, 2025, intensifying concerns about their fate. According to Amnesty International, both men were subjected to torture and forced to confess, and their trial lasted a mere five minutes without proper legal representation.
The organization warns that their case is part of a broader pattern of human rights violations in Iran, where authorities increasingly use the death penalty as a tool of political repression. Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian government to quash the death sentences, ensure justice for Ehsani and Hassani, and end the practice of executing individuals after unfair trials based on coerced confessions.
As of now, Iranian authorities have not responded to Amnesty International’s appeal or the growing international condemnation of these executions.
