The New York City Bar Association has issued a strong condemnation of the Iranian regime’s sentencing of Behrouz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48, two political prisoners transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison and facing imminent execution. The organization describes their death sentences as a “blatant violation of international human rights law” and calls for immediate intervention to halt their executions.
Ehsani and Hassani were arrested in 2022 on politically motivated charges, including “rebellion (baghi), waging war against God (moharebeh), and spreading corruption on Earth.” Both were reportedly subjected to torture and prolonged solitary confinement in Evin Prison’s notorious Ward 209, where political prisoners face harsh treatment. Their convictions were confirmed on January 7, 2025, despite widespread condemnation from human rights advocates.
Both men were active in Iran’s “No to Execution Tuesdays” movement, a grassroots campaign against the country’s high execution rate. While in detention, they wrote open letters urging the international community to take action against Iran’s use of capital punishment. Their advocacy drew severe repercussions from Iranian authorities, who accused them of spreading anti-government sentiment.
The New York City Bar Association (“City Bar”) expresses grave concern over the death sentences imposed on Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Read their statement:https://t.co/5rBLThQybM…#StopExecutionsInIran#SaveMehdiHassani #SaveBehrouzEhsani pic.twitter.com/MqfC86HqRF— Friends of a Free Iran – EP (@FOFI_EP) January 30, 2025
Ghezel Hesar Prison, known for its frequent executions and dire conditions, now holds Ehsani and Hassani. Their transfer signals an imminent execution, prompting 68 political prisoners in Iran to sign a public letter denouncing their sentences as “state-sponsored premeditated murder.” The letter notes that Iran accounted for nearly 75% of global executions in 2024.
Systemic Due Process Violations
The City Bar report highlights Iran’s repeated denial of fair trial rights, noting:
- Coerced confessions through torture;
- Denial of legal counsel and medical treatment;
- Unjust sentencing by Iran’s Revolutionary Court, known for issuing extreme penalties against political prisoners.
Judge Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, who sentenced Ehsani and Hassani, has a history of harsh rulings against activists, including those of Pakhshan Azizi (2023), Saba Kordafshari (2019), and Seyed Abolhassan Montazer (2024).
🚨 The New York City Bar (@NYCBarAssn) urges the UN to take immediate action to prevent the execution of political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani & Mehdi Hassani in Iran
CC: @volker_turk @drmaisato#SaveMehdiHassani #SaveBehrouzEhsani #StopExecutionsInIran pic.twitter.com/FFDdIfjZy4
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) January 30, 2025
Violations of International Law
The Iranian regime’s treatment of Ehsani and Hassani contravenes multiple international human rights agreements, including:
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits torture and guarantees fair trials;
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), particularly Articles 5 and 10 on humane treatment and due process;
- The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which Iran is accused of violating through harsh prison conditions and summary executions.
Call to Action
The New York City Bar Association is calling for immediate international intervention to prevent the executions of Ehsani and Hassani. The organization demands that Iran halt their executions, overturn their convictions, and release them unconditionally.
The City Bar also urges the United Nations and global human rights organizations to take action against Iran’s systematic suppression of dissent and use of capital punishment as a tool of political repression.
The case of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani has become yet another symbol of Iran’s ongoing human rights crisis, reinforcing calls for greater international pressure on the Iranian government to end its widespread use of the death penalty against political activists.