Public and Revolutionary Prosecutors of Iran
This report marks the first in a series of five forthcoming articles published by HRA through its Spreading Justice project, dedicated to shedding light on the roles within the Iranian regime that enable and sustain serious human rights violations, as well as violations of international law. The Spreading Justice database currently contains over a thousand profiles of individuals and entities implicated in systematic violations. This series aims not only to highlight who these individuals are and how the Spreading Justice project has documented their behavior, but also to examine how and why the positions they occupy perpetuate the entrenched cycle of repression and abuse. The series is published in the hope that a deeper understanding of the system of abuse will support ongoing efforts to hold Iran accountable and will also help shape recommendations for urgent reform.
Understanding the role of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor in Iran
The prosecutor serves as the representative of society before the court, with key responsibilities that include issuing indictments and overseeing the enforcement of judicial punishments[1]. He also supervises investigations and exercises administrative oversight over the implementation of judgments, meaning his deep involvement in the many cases marked by fair trial violations is inherent to the role.
Organizational Structure of the Prosecution Office
Prosecutors in Iran are generally classified into three levels based on their position and hierarchy, as follows
- Prosecutor General
- Provincial Capital Prosecutor, for example, Ali-Akbar Alishah, see Spreading Justice profile here
- County Prosecutor, for example, Mehdi Amadeh, see Spreading Justice profile here
Each of these prosecutors is responsible for supervising the actions of their subordinate prosecutors:
- The Prosecutor of the provincial capital county supervises county prosecutors within that province.
- The Prosecutor General supervises all prosecutors nationwide
Duties of the Prosecutor
All activities within the prosecutor’s office are carried out under the prosecutor’s supervision. The prosecutor’s judicial responsibilities are organized into several main categories, including:
- Handling offenses involving public rights and interests
Offenses that concern public rights or interests do not require a private complainant. For instance, certain violations tied to public order or decency are pursued by prosecutors without the need for a private complaint, with both administrative and criminal dimensions. In such cases, the prosecutor holds the authority to initiate proceedings and ensure the matter is addressed. - Handling complaints of pardonable (private) offenses at the victim’s request
These offenses are pursued only if the victim files a complaint. Once the complaint is submitted, the prosecutor is obligated to take action and address the matter.[2] - Issuing Indictments
A core responsibility of the prosecutor is to prepare and issue an indictment. In Iran’s mixed system, the prosecutor directs the investigation, while the investigating judge conducts interrogations and oversees evidence gathering. Once the investigating judge submits the report confirming that the investigation is complete and the accused has been informed of the charges, the prosecutor drafts the indictment and submits it to the court to initiate the trial.[3]
Oversight of Punishment Enforcement
According to the regulations on the implementation of punishments such as hadd penalties, capital punishment, limb amputation, qisas (retribution in kind) for life and limb, injury compensation (diyat), flogging, exile, banishment, compulsory residence, and prohibiting residence in particular areas[4]:
- According to Article 31[5], punishments involving capital punishment, stoning, qisas for limb, and limb amputation are carried out under the continuous and direct supervision of the prosecutor.
According to Article 15[6], in cases where a sentence has been issued for public execution at a designated location, if the court has not specified the area, the place of execution is determined by the proposal of the criminal sentence enforcement judge and the approval of the prosecutor.
Case Study: Isfahan House
A striking example of the Prosecutor’s conduct can be seen in the actions of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Isfahan County, Seyed Mohammad Mousavian[7]. Acting in his official capacity, Mousavian issued the indictment against the defendants in the Isfahan House case[8] following the nationwide protests of 2022. This indictment ultimately led to the executions of Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi.
The executions were carried out despite the release of an audio file[9] in which Majid Kazemi made clear that he had been tortured, threatened, and subjected to sexual abuse during interrogation. These coerced confessions, extracted in flagrant violation of both Iranian law and international human rights standards, became the foundation for the indictment and subsequent death sentences.
By relying on statements obtained through torture, the prosecutor not only failed in his duty to uphold justice but also actively contravened one of his most fundamental legal obligations: to ensure that indictments are not based on evidence obtained under coercion. This conduct represents not simply a lapse in judgment but a profound violation of law, contributing directly to the wrongful and arbitrary deprivation of life. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader and routine pattern in the Iranian judiciary.
Spreading Justice Information on Public and Revolutionary Prosecutors of the Past and Present
| Name | Current Position | Link | Location |
| Jalal Afaghi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Ardabil County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj19847/ | Ardabil |
| Ali-Akbar Alishah | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Sari | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj41692/ | Sari |
| Mahmoud Espanlou | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Golestan Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj67398/ | Gorgan |
| Behrouz Abbasi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Zanjan County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj80807/ | Zanjan |
| Abdolvahab Bakhshandeh | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of the Capital of Ilam Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj60705/ | Ilam |
| Babak Mahboub Alilu | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of East Azerbaijan Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj66354/ | Tabriz |
| Mahdi Bakhshi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Kerman Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj59765/ | Kerman |
| Seyed Mohammad Mousavian | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Isfahan Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj42878/ | Isfahan |
| Hasan Madadi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Alborz Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj03152/ | Karaj |
| Mehdi Amadeh | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Dezful | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj29158/ | Dezful |
| Alireza Rezapour | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Saqqez | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj77936/ | Saqqez |
| Seyed-Ali Malek-Hosseini | Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provincial General and Revolutionary Prosecutor – Yasuj City | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj70841/ | Yasuj |
| Iraj Jahantigh Fard | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Zabol | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj54053/ | Zabol |
| Moslem Almasi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Dorud County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj24392/ | Dorud |
| Mehdi Mohammadi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Shahriar County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj84171/ | Shahriar |
| Hossein Majidi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of West Azerbaijan – Urmia | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj69585/ | Urmia |
| Jafar Sedighi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Sabzevar | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj39390/ | Sabzevar |
| Mohammad Jabbari | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Kurdistan Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj67273/ | Sanandaj |
| Mehdi Shamsabadi | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj96508/ | Zahedan |
| Mohammad Movahedi Azad | Attorney General of the country | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj38604/ | Tehran |
| Sadegh Jafari Chegeni | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Center of Khuzestan Province, Ahvaz County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj97277/ | Ahvaz |
| Name | Previous Position | Current Position | Link | Location |
| Ebrahim Ansari | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Lahijan County | Deputy for Judicial Affairs of the Head of the General and Revolutionary Courts of Rasht County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj76989/ | Rasht |
| Seyed Mahdi Falahmiri | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Gilan province | Judicial Deputy of the Gilan Province Judiciary | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj05101/ | Rasht |
Mehrab Pourakbar | General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Mahabad | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj51073/ | Unknown |
| Hassan Khanjani Movaghar | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Hamedan Province | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj94718/ | Unknown |
| Akbar Sobhani | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Bandar Anzali City | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj70283/ | Unknown |
| Esmail Molakarimi | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Babol City | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj50244/ | Unknown |
| Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Nowshahr City | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj49953/ | Unknown |
| Yar Mohammad Resalati Khah | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Izeh City | Head of the Justice Department of Ramshir County | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj82195/ | Ramshir |
| Rabiullah Ghorbani | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Markazi province | Chief Justice of the Public and Revolutionary Courts of Tehran Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj04363/ | Tehran |
| Hossein Rajabi | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Qazvin Province | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj27198/ | Unknown |
| Ali Hassanpour | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Bushehr province | Assistant Prosecutor of the Supreme Court’s Prosecutor’s Office | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj04196/ | Tehran |
| Alireza Ahmadi Manesh | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Hormozgan Province | Head of the Appeals Court of Mazandaran Province | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj04655/ | Sari |
| Mohammad-Hossein Doroudi | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Khorasan Razavi Province | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj94338/ | Unknown |
| Mahdi Mohammadi | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Amol city in Mazandaran province | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj52571/ | Unknown |
| Mojtaba Mahmoodi | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Piranshahr city in West Azerbaijan province | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj63140/ | Unknown |
| Asghar Noei | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Naghadeh city in West Azerbaijan | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj75888/ | Unknown |
| Seyed-Mostafa Bahreini | Former General and Revolutionary Prosecutor of Fars Province | Unknown | https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj86679/ | Unknown |
[1] IRIB News, “Who Is the Prosecutor and What Are Their Duties?,” IRIB News Agency, published 30 November 2020, https://www.iribnews.ir/fa/news/2938776/دادستان–کیست–و–چه–وظایفی–دارد.
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ekhtebar, “Regulation on the Implementation of Hadd Punishments, Death Penalty, Amputation, Qisas for Life and Limb, Bodily Injuries, Blood Money (Diyat), Flogging, Exile, Banishment, Mandatory Residence, and Prohibition from Residence in Certain Places,” published June 20, 2019, Ekhtebar, https://www.ekhtebar.ir/%D8%A2%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%AD%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%8C-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%AD/.
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Spreading Justice, “Seyed Mohammad Mousavian (Violator ID: sj42878),” Spreading Justice – Human Rights Violators Database, last updated 20 June 2025, https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj42878/.
[8] Hrana, “Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi Executed” published May 19, 2023. https://www.en-hrana.org/saleh-mirhashemi-majid-kazemi-and-saeed-yaghoubi-executed/.
[9] Hrana, “HRANA’s report on the ambiguous case of the defendants of the Isfahan House / Documents from the case” published May 14, 2023.
https://www.hra-news.org/2023/hranews/a-41118/.
