Two Iranian political prisoners, Behrouz Ehsani and Medhi Hassani, face imminent execution under the oppressive theocratic rule of Iran. Their only crime: demanding freedom.
In a powerful op-ed published by Unita.it, human rights activist and former Italian MP Elisabetta Zamparutti sheds light on their case, calling for international intervention to stop the executions. With a long history of advocacy against the death penalty, Zamparutti echoes the voices of many who see this as yet another brutal crackdown on dissent in Iran.
Ehsani and Hassani were arrested in September 2022, amid nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. Their death sentences were handed down two years later, on September 16, 2024—symbolically on the anniversary of the protests. On January 7, 2025, Iran’s Supreme Court confirmed their sentences.
A Daughter’s Pain, a Family’s Anguish
Zamparutti recounts the emotional testimony of Maryam Hassani, Medhi’s 24-year-old daughter, who now lives in Turkey with her mother. She describes the brutal arrest of her father in Zanjan and his six months of total isolation in Tehran’s Evin Prison. The family was kept in the dark, with no contact or legal representation of their choice. When they finally saw him, he was visibly weakened but remained steadfast.
Salviamo Behrouz e Medhi dalla forca dei mullah
Elisabetta Zamparutti, l’Unità pic.twitter.com/Ju6VVwuHzk— Franco Maria Fontana (@francofontana43) February 1, 2025
The last time Maryam saw her father was seven months ago, during a heavily monitored prison visit. The last time she heard his voice was two weeks ago, in a short five-minute phone call. Even then, he spoke of freedom, not fear.
“He told us not to worry about him,” she says, “but to focus on the future.”
Days later, he was moved to Ghezel Hesar and placed back in isolation. Only the intervention of other political prisoners ensured that his family was informed of his whereabouts. His wife was finally allowed a short 20-minute visit, where she found him with his long hair forcibly cut.
“I Won’t Repent for Fighting for Freedom”
Despite the pressure, Medhi Hassani refused to break. Authorities offered him a deal—cooperation in exchange for his life. His answer was clear:
“I won’t repent for fighting for freedom.”
This refusal, Zamparutti argues, is the real reason for his death sentence. Both he and Ehsani are part of the Iranian resistance movement led by Maryam Rajavi, which calls for a free and democratic Iran. Their execution would be a warning to all who dare to oppose the regime.
Elisabetta Zamparutti (@elizamparutti), Hands Off Cain (@HandsOffCain_It)co-founder: 1000 executions are a pillar of the regime’s strategy to survive.#StopExecutionsInIran #NoToExecutionTuesdayshttps://t.co/a8OSmuEc4f
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) January 21, 2025
A Call to Action
Zamparutti’s op-ed is more than a report—it is a plea. Over 300 human rights activists and experts have signed an appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urging him to intervene.
“Knowing that lovers of freedom exist today but may not be here tomorrow,” Zamparutti writes, “compels me to stand with them.”
With mounting international pressure, the world watches as Iran inches closer to another act of state violence. Will the voices of those fighting for freedom be silenced—or will the world speak up before it’s too late?