The Iranian regime’s judiciary sentenced Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, two political prisoners, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), the largest opposition group in Iran, to death. The sentence, communicated to the prisoners’ lawyer, was issued by the notorious judge Iman Afshari, head of Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. These two political prisoners were sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion, enmity against God, corruption on Earth, membership in the PMOI, gathering classified information, and conspiring against national security.”
Behrouz Ehsani, a 69-year-old political prisoner, was arrested on December 6, 2022, in Tehran and transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence detention center (Ward 209 of Evin Prison), where he was tortured. He is currently being held in Ward 4 of Evin Prison.
Mehdi Hassani, 48, was arrested on September 11, 2022, in Zanjan and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, where he was subjected to physical and psychological torture. He is currently held in Ward 8 of Evin Prison.
It is worth noting that on April 8, 2024, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) announced the arrest of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani and reported that the regime’s prosecutor had requested the death penalty for several political prisoners, including Hassani and Ehsani.
The issuance of death sentences for these political prisoners comes as over 21 prisons across the country have joined a widespread campaign against executions. This week, the prisoners in the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign marked their 34th hunger strike.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the NCRI, previously stated that the clerical regime aims to use executions and killings, particularly around the anniversary of the 2022 uprising, to prevent the eruption of public anger against the regime. She added that the regime views the international community’s inaction in the face of the wave of executions as a green light to continue its crimes and violations of international law.
