A growing wave of executions in Iran has raised fresh international concern, as human rights groups accuse authorities of using the death penalty to silence dissent following recent political unrest and regional conflict.
One of the latest cases involved 29-year-old Kurdish prisoner Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, who was executed after spending more than three years on death row in western Iran. Before his execution, he sent a voice message from prison declaring his innocence and claiming he had been forced into false confessions through torture and threats.
Mehrab had been arrested during the nationwide protests that erupted in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Iranian authorities accused him of involvement in the killing of a member of the Basij militia during the demonstrations.
According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, he was executed without prior notice to his family or legal team, and his body was not returned to relatives.
The United Nations says at least 32 political prisoners have been executed in Iran since the start of the latest conflict involving the United States and Israel earlier this year. Human rights organisations report that executions on political and security-related charges have sharply increased compared to previous years.
Amnesty International estimates that Iran carried out more than 2,000 executions last year alone, the highest number recorded in decades. Most cases reportedly involved murder or drug-related crimes, but activists say political executions are becoming more frequent.
Human rights advocates accuse Iranian authorities of using capital punishment to intimidate critics and suppress opposition movements. Several prisoners executed this year were accused of espionage for Israel or the CIA, while others were linked to anti-government protests.
Among them was 21-year-old karate champion Sasan Azadvar, who was executed after being convicted of “waging war against God” and collaborating with foreign enemies. Reports indicate he was accused of attacking police vehicles during protests, though he was not charged with causing any deaths.
Another prisoner, aerospace engineering student Erfan Shakourzadeh, was executed after authorities accused him of sharing classified information with foreign intelligence services. Rights groups claim he was tortured and forced to confess.
Iranian officials have rejected international criticism of the executions. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei recently stated that Iranian courts would not bow to foreign pressure regarding death sentences linked to unrest in the country.
Human rights organisations also say ethnic minorities, particularly Kurdish activists, are disproportionately targeted in politically motivated cases.
Activists warn that many detainees remain at risk as trials continue behind closed doors with limited transparency and restricted access to legal defence.
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