Response of 5 Political Prisoners to Death Sentences: The Pain of the Supreme Leader Cannot Be Cured

Five political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj reacted to the confirmation of the death sentences of Pakhshan Azizi, Behrouz Ehsani, and Mehdi Hassani, three political prisoners in the Supreme Court, stating that "the tool of execution does not cure the pain of the decrepit Supreme Leader." In a statement received by Voice of America on Friday, January 21, they said: "Once again, the decaying and decrepit regime, approaching the brink of collapse, resorts to executions and further killings in its misguided attempt to avoid this fate, aiming to intimidate and push back the agitated society." The signatories of the statement considered the confirmation of the death sentences of the three political prisoners, Pakhshan Azizi, Behrouz Ehsani, and Mehdi Hassani, as part of this trend and announced that more than 50 other political and ideological prisoners, along with thousands of prisoners with common crimes, are also on death row. The statement emphasized that "the criminal Supreme Leader, under whose approval and supervision all death sentences are carried out, believes that with a wave of killings and executions, he can intimidate the agitated people into silence." The signatories believe that "this last and primary tool of repression, namely execution, will no longer be a remedy for his incurable pain. Just as the spirit of fathers and mothers remains steadfast at the graves of their loved ones, the spirit of those condemned to stand on the gallows is also resolute." The five political prisoners in Gohardasht condemned the issuance of these death sentences and called on the people to do everything in their power and to urge all international and human rights organizations, especially the Human Rights Council and the special rapporteur, to take urgent action to save the lives of these three prisoners. This statement was signed by Saeed Masouri, Sepehr Imam Jomeh, Mohammad Shafaei, Meysam Dehban Zadeh, and Laghman Aminpour, political prisoners in Gohardasht. News sources reported on Wednesday, January 19, that the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic confirmed the death sentences of Pakhshan Azizi, Behrouz Ehsani Islamlu, and Mehdi Hassani, three political prisoners imprisoned in Evin Prison. Amir Reisiian, the lawyer for Pakhshan Azizi, also announced that the death sentence of this political prisoner was confirmed in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court "without regard to numerous flaws in the case." Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death and four years in prison on August 24 of this year in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Iman Afshari, on charges of "rebellion through membership in opposition groups in the country." Behrouz Ehsani Islamlu and Mehdi Hassani were also sentenced to death in late September on charges of "rebellion, waging war against God, corruption on earth, collecting classified information, and conspiracy against national security" in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court presided over by Iman Afshari. "Membership" in the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran is among the charges attributed to these two prisoners. Currently, at least 54 "political and security" prisoners, including Varishe Moradi, are facing death sentences in the prisons of the Islamic Republic on charges such as "rebellion, waging war, and corruption on earth." The increase in the issuance and execution of death sentences by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran has faced widespread global protests. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed serious concern on Tuesday, January 18, about the significant increase in executions in Iran last year. Reports indicate that at least 901 people were executed in 2024, with about 40 of them executed in just one week in December of the previous year. In 2023 (1402 in the Persian calendar), at least 853 people were executed. Mahmoud Amiri Moghadam stated that execution is a tool for repression and intimidation by the Islamic Republic.