Concerns over the safety of prisoners, particularly political prisoners, have sharply intensified in Iran following the onset of US and Israeli military strikes and the escalation of conflict in the region, amid reports of executions and growing restrictions inside prisons.
Heightened security measures, increased repression, and tighter controls on the flow of information have been reported across prisons in Iran.
Widespread internet shutdowns, along with restrictions on phone calls and family or lawyer visits, have further deepened concerns over the condition and fate of prisoners.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has reported that at least five political prisoners – Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvar-Kar, and Amir-Hossein Hatami – have been secretly executed in recent days without prior notice.
Other political prisoners, including Kurdish prisoners previously sentenced to death, face an imminent risk of execution.
Several cases in which death sentences had previously been overturned are now undergoing retrial, with individuals still facing the possibility of renewed death sentences.
Seven Kurdish political prisoners – Pakhshan Azizi, Hatem Ozdemir, Yousef Ahmadi, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, Nasser Bakerzadeh, Rauf Sheikh-Maroufi, and Mohammad Faraji – who were sentenced to death following unfair trials by Islamic Revolutionary Courts in Tehran, Mahabad, Orumiyeh, and Sanandaj on charges including “armed insurrection” (baghi) and “enmity against God” (moharebeh), are being held in Evin, Orumiyeh, Sanandaj, and Bukan prisons.
At least four of these death sentences have been upheld by the Supreme Court, placing those individuals at immediate risk of execution.
Additionally, the cases of Verisheh Moradi, Ali (Soran) Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, and Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri have been returned to Islamic Revolutionary Courts for retrial after their death sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court.
These individuals, who had previously been sentenced to death in unfair proceedings, remain in a state of uncertainty in Evin and Orumiyeh Central prisons and face charges including “armed insurrection” (baghi), “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel arz), and “enmity against God” (moharebeh). Given the history of their cases, there is a risk that death sentences may be reissued.
KHRN condemns the recent executions, expresses deep concern over the serious risk of further executions of other prisoners, particularly political prisoners, and warns that under the current circumstances the death penalty is increasingly at risk of being used as a tool of pressure and retaliation.
Additionally, KHRN calls for an immediate halt to the issuance and implementation of death sentences, as well as the granting of prison leave to reduce the risks arising from wartime conditions. It emphasises that, under such conditions, responsibility for protecting the lives and health of all prisoners lies with the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Details of Kurdish political prisoners sentenced to death or at risk of being re-sentenced to death:
– Pakhshan Azizi, a women’s rights activist and social worker from Mahabad, was arrested in Tehran in August 2023 and, after months in solitary confinement and being denied access to a lawyer, was sentenced to death on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi). Her sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and her request for retrial was rejected.
– Hatem Ozdemir, a Kurdish political activist holding Turkish citizenship, was arrested in 2019 and, after undergoing a period of interrogation accompanied by torture, was sentenced to death on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi). His sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court after several stages of review.
– Yousef Ahmadi, a citizen from Baneh, was arrested in May 2020 and, after being subjected to torture and denied access to medical services, was sentenced to death on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi). His sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.
– Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a citizen from Orumiyeh and one of those detained during the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, was sentenced to death on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) after being subjected to torture to extract forced confessions. His sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.
– Nasser Bakerzadeh, a citizen from Orumiyeh, was arrested in August 2023 and, after multiple annulments and reviews of his sentence, was again sentenced to death in February 2026.
– Rauf Sheikh-Maroufi and Mohammad Faraji, both detained during the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, were sentenced to death on charges of “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel arz) after months of torture.
– Verisheh Moradi, a member of the East Kurdistan Free Women Society (KJAR), was arrested in Sanandaj in August 2023. After months in solitary confinement, she was sentenced to death on charges of “armed insurrection” (baghi). This sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court and referred back to the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran for retrial.
– Ali Ghassemi, Pezhman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, and Javanmard Mam-Khosravi, all detained during the “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, were collectively sentenced to 10 death sentences after months of detention and torture. These sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court and the case was referred back to the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Mahabad for retrial.
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