In the early hours of Wednesday, May 20, the death sentences of two Kurdish political prisoners, Ramin Zeleh and Karim Maroufpour, were secretly carried out in Naqadeh Central Prison. According to human rights sources, the executions were conducted without informing their families and while depriving them of the right to a final visit.
According to published reports, the two prisoners, both from Naqadeh County, had previously been sentenced to death in a joint case by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Mahabad on charges of baghi (“armed rebellion against the state”) through membership in the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI).
At the same time as the executions, Mizan News Agency, the official media outlet of the regime’s judiciary, confirmed the executions in a statement and accused the two prisoners of membership in Kurdish groups, armed uprising, and attempted assassination. However, human rights organizations have once again expressed concern about the use of forced confessions and opaque judicial procedures in political cases, especially in Kurdish regions.
Ramin Zeleh was arrested by Intelligence Ministry forces in August 2024 and, after approximately 507 days of detention and legal limbo, was sentenced to death. According to reports, his court hearing lasted only a few minutes and was held without the presence of his chosen lawyer. His death sentence was formally delivered to him in prison in December 2024.
Karim Maroufpour, 29, from Naqadeh, had previously been arrested in the city of Sardasht in April 2021. He was reportedly severely beaten at the time of arrest and held for a long period incommunicado and without contact with his family. He was ultimately sentenced to death alongside Ramin Zeleh in the same joint case.
It should be noted that the Iranian regime, amid war and instability in the region, has resorted to the widespread execution of political prisoners in preparation for confronting potential uprisings and protests by the Iranian people.
