In a letter addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hands Off Cain association has issued an urgent appeal to halt the execution of Mr. Behrouz Ehsani and Mr. Mehdi Hassani, two political prisoners in Iran. The two men, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), have been sentenced to death on charges of “rebellion, war against God, corruption on earth, membership in the PMOI, gathering confidential information, and conspiracy against national security.”
Mr. Behrouz Ehsani, a 69-year-old political prisoner, was arrested on December 6, 2022, in Tehran and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is under the control of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. He has reportedly been tortured and is currently being held in Ward 4 of Evin Prison.
Mr. Mehdi Hassani, aged 48, was arrested on September 11, 2022, in Zanjan and transferred to the same ward of Evin Prison. He is also reported to have undergone both physical and psychological torture and is currently detained in Ward 8 of the prison.
The letter highlights concerns about Iran’s increasing executions, which have been recognized and condemned by Javaid Rehman, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. In a recent report, Rehman described the Iranian regime’s violent suppression of PMOI supporters, referencing atrocities during the 1980s, including the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, many of whom were PMOI members. He described these crimes as some of the most egregious human rights violations in living memory, with senior Iranian officials playing a key role in orchestrating and executing these acts.
The Special Rapporteur’s report sheds light on the regime’s continued use of executions as a tool of repression, noting that in 2024 alone, at least 464 individuals have been executed in Iran, with the number rising daily.
Hands off Cain calls on the UN and global leaders to respect the right to life and intervene to prevent the imminent execution of Mr. Ehsani and Mr. Hassani. The organization emphasizes that as the UN General Assembly considers a new resolution calling for a global moratorium on the death penalty, now is the time for action. They argue that halting executions is the only practical means of saving lives and giving governments time to abolish this outdated form of punishment entirely.
Below is the full text of the letter: