Amnesty International: Iran Must Halt Imminent Execution of Ramin Hossein Panahi

On Tuesday, May 1, Amnesty International issued a statement urging Iranian authorities to stop the imminent execution of Ramin Hossein Panahi, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian man. Amnesty International states that Hossein Panahi's execution is scheduled for Thursday on charges of "armed rebellion" against the Islamic Republic, despite being sentenced in an unfair trial that ignored his complaints of torture during detention. Philip Luther, director of Amnesty International's Middle East research, described Hossein Panahi's case as a striking example of the collapse of justice from start to finish. He appeared in court with visible signs of torture on his body and was sentenced to death in less than an hour. This Amnesty official added that during interrogation, Hossein Panahi was denied access to his lawyer and family, as well as evidence against him. Luther emphasized that Iranian intelligence officials pressured Hossein Panahi to make "fabricated confessions" on television in exchange for the cancellation of his death sentence, but his refusal led to further isolation and suffering. Meanwhile, Hossein Panahi's brother reported on Twitter that he had been transferred to solitary confinement in Sanandaj prison for the execution. Hossein Panahi's death sentence, for charges of "rebellion and membership in the Komala Party," was confirmed two weeks ago by the Supreme Court, while his defense attorney deems the sentence "illegal". Amnesty International previously reported that Hossein Panahi, along with three other members of the Komala Party, was ambushed by the Revolutionary Guards and arrested after being wounded during an exchange of fire, but his lawyer asserts that "his client never took up arms." Hossein Panahi has been in detention since July 2017 and had previously told the judge that he was subjected to "torture and mistreatment" in prison.