As part of the ongoing wave of repression and political executions, the judiciary of Iran’s regime issued harsh sentences against five political prisoners on Saturday, July 12. Three of them—Farshad Etemadifar, Masoud Jamei, and Alireza Mardasi (Hamidavi)—were each sentenced to two executions and one year in prison. The other two, Saman and Davood Hormatnejad, were sentenced to 12 and 15 years of discretionary imprisonment, respectively.
These sentences were issued by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz, presided over by Judge Adibi-Mehr. The official charges include “waging war against God (moharebeh),” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK),” and “propaganda against the regime”—charges frequently used against political prisoners to justify harsh sentences.
Issuance of Execution Sentences for Three Political Prisoners
Farshad Etemadifar, 30, a resident of Basht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, was arrested in June 2023 in the village of Pichab, Basht, along with Saman and Davood Hormatnejad. He had previously been arrested in 2018 for political activities and spent 20 months in prison. Masoud Jamai, a 47-year-old teacher, and Alireza Mardasi, a 52-year-old Arab teacher, were arrested in Ahvaz in August 2023. It is reported that Jamai suffers from serious health issues, including stomach cancer, liver problems, and internal infections, and is in urgent need of medical care.
Earlier, Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, two prisoners who support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), had been sentenced to death.
These sentences come amid a rise in executions, threats of execution, and pressure on political prisoners in recent months. Many international observers have interpreted this as a sign of the deepening political and social deadlock within the regime.
Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran’s regime, in an effort to prevent a repeat of popular uprisings and explosions of social anger, has once again resorted to the familiar tools of repression, execution, and instilling public fear. However, experience has shown that such actions not only fail to prevent uprisings but, on the contrary, strengthen the motivation and determination of the younger generation to bring about regime change.
In this context, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has called for immediate action by the international community. The NCRI has urged the United Nations Security Council, the UN High Commissioner and Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, the European Union, and all democratic governments to use all available legal and diplomatic means to prevent the implementation of these sentences and the gradual massacre of political prisoners.
