A coalition of 152 prominent international experts and NGOs has urgently called on Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to intervene in the case of Iranian political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48. The two men, convicted after an unjust trial, were forcibly transferred earlier today from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison, where most executions in Iran are carried out.
The letter emphasizes that this sudden transfer, coupled with the suspension of communication lines, suggests that Iranian authorities may be preparing for their secret execution. Ehsani and Hassani were sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court in September 2024, under charges including “rebellion,” “waging war against God,” and “membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI).” The convictions came amid credible reports of torture and without fair trial standards, violating Iran’s international human rights obligations.
The letter also highlights the broader context of the regime’s increasing use of executions as a tool of political repression, with around 1,000 prisoners executed in 2024 alone. Both Ehsani and Hassani were vocal advocates against the death penalty, participating in the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, which has mobilized resistance within 34 prisons across the country.
The signatories urge Türk to condemn the planned executions, rally international pressure on Iran, and demand access to independent monitors to assess the conditions of political prisoners. The appeal stresses that the global community must act swiftly to prevent these executions, describing them as part of Iran’s systematic suppression of dissent.
“Time is of the essence,” the letter concludes, calling on the UN and global leaders to take decisive action against what they describe as “brazen violations of human rights.”