Mai Sato, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, has expressed serious concern in an official letter to the Iranian regime over the situation of six political prisoners sentenced to death.
اخیراً در یک مکاتبهی رسمی با دولت جمهوری اسلامی ایران، نگرانی عمیق خود را نسبت به پروندهها و احکام بابک علیپور، وحید بنیامریان، اکبر (شاهرخ) دانشورکار، پویا قبادی، ابوالحسن منتظر و سید محمد تقوی سنگدهی ابراز کردم. گفته میشود این افراد پس از روند قضاییای که همراه با ادعاهای…
— Mai Sato (@drmaisato) November 5, 2025
She emphasized that carrying out the death penalty for the charge of “baghi” (meaning rebellion or armed uprising against the ruling authority) is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—of which Iran is a signatory—and is considered illegal under international law.
According to the letter—published by Mai Sato along with the Iranian regime’s response on Wednesday, November 5—Babak Alipour, Vahid Beni-Amrian, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, Pouya Ghobadi, Abolhassan Montazer, and Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi are facing imminent execution following ambiguous judicial proceedings, torture, prolonged solitary confinement, and denial of fair trial rights.
The Special Rapporteur emphasized that under international law, the death penalty can only be justified for “the most serious crimes,” such as intentional murder, and extending it to charges such as “baghi” (armed rebellion against the ruling authority) or armed insurrection against the regime is inconsistent with Iran’s legal obligations.
Mai Sato also wrote that these individuals were arrested and convicted on the charge of “baghi” (armed rebellion against the ruling authority) due to their alleged links with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the largest opposition group to the Iranian regime. According to the information in the letter, the six were arrested between December 22, 2023, and February 23, 2024, in various locations including Tehran and the Chaldoran border, without judicial warrants and through the use of violence and intimidation.
The UN official called on the Iranian regime’s authorities to halt the executions and ensure proceedings in line with fair trial principles and human rights standards.
