Increase in Death Sentences for 'Baghi' Charges in Recent Months; Shahab Nadali, a Prisoner from Hamadan, Sentenced to Death

The human rights organization 'Hengaw' announced that Shahab Nadali, a prisoner from Hamadan, has been sentenced to death by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to this news source, this prisoner has been in detention for the past eight months and has faced this sentence from Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, on charges of 'Baghi' through 'membership in opposition groups.' Informed sources have stated that the result of Shahab Nadali's appeal has not yet been announced. According to Hengaw, this prisoner has staged at least two hunger strikes, the first in protest of several months of uncertainty in September and the second in protest against the attribution of the 'Baghi' charge recently. Shahab Nadali is a 40-year-old worker from Hamadan and has a 12-year-old daughter. The issuance of death sentences on the charge of 'Baghi' has intensified in recent months, and in this regard, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on Friday, February 8, that 'Varishe Moradi,' a member of an organization called 'Free Women of Eastern Kurdistan,' has faced charges of 'Baghi' from the investigator of Branch 5 of the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Tehran. According to Islamic Penal Code in the Islamic Republic, the crime of 'Baghi' refers to actions taken by a group of individuals against the Islamic Republic of Iran through armed actions, with the punishment for this crime varying between execution or imprisonment depending on the use of weapons. The Hengaw human rights organization also reported on December 21 that three political prisoners held in Evin Prison have been charged with 'Baghi' and are facing the possibility of the death penalty. Hengaw stated that the specific charges against Forough Taghipour, Marzieh Farsi, and Nasim Gholamifard were 'collaboration with the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization.' According to the Dabaan Legal Advice and Training Center, the charge of 'Baghi' is considered one of the security charges punishable by death, and according to Islamic Penal Code, a 'Baghi' is someone who engages in armed struggle against the 'foundations of the Islamic Republic.' According to the Iranian Human Rights Activists Organization, the charges against several executed individuals in the past year have included 'Moharebeh and Baghi.' Following the increase in the issuance and execution of death sentences by the Islamic Republic and the launch of the 'No to Execution' campaign condemning this type of judicial punishment, more than 430 civil and political activists on February 5 issued a statement calling for a halt to executions in Iran. The statistics on executions in the Islamic Republic have always been among the highest in the world, but the execution of political and non-political prisoners has intensified following the protests of 2022 and has led to widespread domestic and international reactions in recent weeks.