Iran Human Rights Campaign: International Community Must Break Silence on Executions

The Iran Human Rights Campaign reported the sentencing of two political prisoners, Manoochehr Fallah and Shahryar Bayat, to death as indicative of the ongoing and alarming trend of the Islamic Republic's increasing use of the brutal death penalty against opponents and political protesters. This human rights organization emphasized that the international community must immediately break its silence and take effective measures against these arbitrary and unjust sentences. In this context, Behnam Darayizadeh, a lawyer and senior researcher at the Iran Human Rights Campaign, stated: 'If international pressure does not significantly and effectively increase, the Islamic Republic will continue its repression and further executions.' He stressed: 'The reality is that the only reaction the officials of the Islamic Republic see in response to these repressive actions is the indifference and apathy of the world, which ultimately means the continuation of the current horrific situation and the sacrifice of more protesters and political prisoners at the gallows.' According to the report, Manoochehr Fallah and Shahryar Bayat were sentenced to death after trials that severely violated the fundamental principles of fair trial and deprived them of access to independent lawyers. These political prisoners had previously been convicted in sham courts. The Iran Human Rights Campaign noted that the renewed handling of their cases with new fabricated charges and the issuance of brutal death sentences reflects a judicial system that is under the control of government security apparatuses, aimed solely at suppressing political opponents. This organization, considering the issuance of death sentences for detainees from the protests of 2022, called on governments committed to fundamental rights and freedoms worldwide to summon the ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of the Islamic Republic and demand an immediate halt to political executions. The Iran Human Rights Campaign also called for an immediate stop to executions in Iran, adding that this action should be taken in light of the widespread and systematic violations of fair trial principles in cases leading to the death penalty. The campaign urged world governments to warn their Iranian counterparts that if executions continue in violation of international laws, severe diplomatic and economic sanctions will be imposed. Targeted and stringent sanctions against judicial officials and other authorities involved in the detention, trial, and issuance of these brutal and extrajudicial sentences were also among the demands of this human rights organization. The report from this campaign stated that the cases of Mr. Bayat and Fallah are 'clear examples of the alarming trend of increasing issuance and execution of death sentences for political prisoners in Iran.' The report emphasizes that officials of the Islamic Republic are increasingly using the death penalty to suppress political opponents, and protesters, political activists, dissidents, and other government critics are sentenced to death after unfair and show trials. A review of human rights reports indicates that currently, 54 political prisoners in Iran are on death row. Additionally, the Islamic Republic is increasingly exposing women to the death penalty. Accordingly, reports indicate that in 2024, at least 31 women were executed in Iran, the highest number since 2008. Furthermore, the Islamic Republic specifically and significantly applies the death penalty to defendants associated with ethnic minorities, especially Kurds and Baluchs. In this regard, in 2024, at least one-third of those executed in Iran were from Kurdish and Baluch communities. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on December 14 regarding the status of 11 political prisoners sentenced to death and 8 others at risk of receiving death sentences, stating that some of them, detained during the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, are facing 'inhumane death sentences' under unjust conditions, including deprivation of a designated lawyer, severe physical and psychological torture, and unfair trials. This human rights organization added that the families of these prisoners and human rights organizations have warned about the critical situation of these individuals, the risk of confirmation of death sentences, and the danger of execution of issued sentences, calling for the cancellation of these sentences and immediate attention to their critical conditions. According to reports, Shahryar Bayat, 64, a retired employee, married, and residing in Shahriar, was arrested by government agents of the Islamic Republic in Shahriar during nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini on October 25, 2022, and transferred to Evin Prison. This political prisoner was tried in March 2023 and sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison. In late February of last year, he was also sentenced to death by the 13th branch of the Tehran Criminal Court for the accusation of what was termed 'insulting the Prophet of Islam and insulting other infallibles and desecrating Islamic sanctities through the publication of images and content on social media.' Manoochehr Fallah, 40, a tattoo artist from Gilan residing in Kish and a detainee of the Jina movement, was arrested by security forces at Rasht Airport in July of last year and sentenced in December of the same year by the 3rd branch of the Rasht Revolutionary Court to one year and three months of imprisonment for 'insulting the leadership' and seven months and 16 days for 'propaganda against the regime.' In late August 2024, the judge of Manoochehr Fallah's case raised the charge of 'baghi or moharebeh' during a review of his case, and on February 3, 2025, the death sentence was communicated to Mr. Fallah's lawyers.