Following the confirmation of Naser Bakrzadeh’s death sentence by Iran’s Supreme Court, the risk of his imminent execution has significantly increased. Bakrzadeh, a political prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death twice in the same case, is now facing a death sentence for the third time. This comes amid reports from legal sources and those close to him indicating torture, forced confessions, and repeated violations of fair trial principles in his case.
Official notification of the death sentence to Naser Bakrzadeh
According to published reports, on Saturday, April 25, Naser Bakrzadeh was summoned to the sentence enforcement office of Urmia Central Prison, where the confirmation of his death sentence by the Supreme Court was officially communicated to him.
The ruling was communicated to him at a time when the implementation of death sentences in political and security-related cases across the country has intensified, raising concerns about the rapid and unannounced execution of such sentences.
Third death sentence in less than two years
In February 2026, Branch two of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, presided over by Judge Shahini, once again sentenced Naser Bakrzadeh to death on charges of spying for Israel.
This marks the third death sentence issued against him in less than two years—an unusual development that in itself raises serious questions about the quality and consistency of the judicial process in his case.
Two previous rulings had been overturned by the Supreme Court
Bakrzadeh’s case had previously led to two death sentences, both of which were overturned by the Supreme Court.
The first time was in November 2024, when Branch three of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia sentenced him to death, but this ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court in March of the following year. The second time, in September of that same year, Branch two of the Revolutionary Court again issued a death sentence, which was also overturned by the Supreme Court in November.
Iran’s Regime Executes Baluch Political Prisoner Amer Ramesh
The repeated overturning of rulings by the country’s highest judicial authority indicates the presence of fundamental and serious flaws in the case and its judicial proceedings.
Naser Bakrzadeh was first arrested in August 2023 in Urmia by the intelligence unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was later released on bail after some time.
However, he was re-arrested in January 2024 and transferred to an IRGC intelligence detention facility in Urmia, where, according to sources close to his family, he was held for an extended period under intense interrogation and strict security conditions.
Torture and forced confessions; the core of the case
Informed sources say that during his detention, Bakrzadeh was subjected to physical and psychological torture, and interrogators attempted to extract confessions from him under pressure and threats in line with a predetermined security narrative. According to those close to him, he was repeatedly threatened with harsher punishment, denial of visitation rights, and pressure on his family.
According to these reports, the confessions obtained under such conditions have been used as the primary basis for issuing death sentences against him.
Legal observers emphasize that the handling of Bakrzadeh’s case has significantly deviated from fair trial standards. According to informed sources, at critical stages of the case he was denied full and effective access to defense resources and was unable to make proper use of the necessary legal tools to defend himself.
Moreover, the repeated issuance of death sentences after successive overturns by the Supreme Court raises the question of whether the lower courts have genuinely addressed the flaws in the case or have simply proceeded to repeat their previous decisions.
