Tag: Right to life

Engines of Abuse: A Five Part Series IV

Posted on by Rez

This report marks the fourth in a series of five articles published by HRA through its Spreading Justice Project, dedicated to shedding light on the roles within Iran 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 implicated in such abuses. This series aims not only to highlight who these individuals are but also to examine how and why the positions they occupy perpetuate the entrenched cycle of repression and abuse.

Definition and Nature of the “Prison Warden” in the Legal System of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The administration of all facilities for holding incarcerated persons (including prisons, detention centers, juvenile correctional institutions, and camps) is vested in the Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The “Head of the Penal Institution (Prison Warden)” is the highest executive authority in each facility and is entrusted with implementing laws and regulations, maintaining order and security, supervising staff, protecting prisoners’ rights, and coordinating with judicial authorities.[1]

The Role of the Prison Warden in Upholding Prisoners’ Rights

Based on the Executive Regulation of the Prisons and Security and Correctional Measures Organization (2021), the prison warden is obliged to:

  • Ensure the implementation of laws, decisions of classification and disciplinary councils, and orders of judicial authorities;
  • Supervise the behavior of staff toward prisoners and their families;
  • Safeguard the institution’s security, prevent the entry of prohibited items, and manage incidents (including death, suicide, etc.);
  • Organize welfare, healthcare, nutrition, education, employment, and rehabilitation programs;
  • Pursue the use of electronic systems to record prisoners’ status and rights (Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2021, Article 9 and relevant chapters on structure and principles).

Consequently, many of the violations of prisoners’ rights are attributable to the prison warden when: (a) the warden personally commits unlawful conduct (such as degrading or violent behavior), or (b) the warden fails to fulfill supervisory and preventive duties, and such failure results in a violation of rights.

Understanding the Role of the Prison Warden in “Carrying Out Capital Punishment and Hudud (prescribed penalties under Islamic criminal law) Penalties.”

The Regulation on the Procedure for the Execution of Sentences of Hudud, Capital Punishment, Amputation, Qisas of Life, Limb and Injury, Diyah, Flogging, Exile, Banishment, Mandatory Residence, and Prohibition of Residence in Certain Locations (Regulation No. 9000/27863/200, dated 17 June 2019, issued by the Iran Head of the Judiciary)[2] sets specific duties for the prison warden and/or deputy warden, including:

  • Article 8: The criminal enforcement judge and the prison warden or deputy are obliged, before the execution of the sentence, to verify the identity based on valid identity documents or other conclusive evidence. If such documents are not presented or accessible, identity must be confirmed through inquiry with the Civil Registration Organization and other relevant authorities, and the results must be recorded in the case file.
  • Article 35: The prison warden or deputy, acting solely in an administrative capacity, is obliged, pursuant to the order of the criminal enforcement judge, to facilitate the prisoner’s meeting with designated individuals.

Note: The meeting referred to here is the prisoner’s last meeting before execution. However, the regulation itself does not use the term ‘last meeting,’ and instead refers simply to a ‘meeting.’

  • Article 39: In cases where the place of execution is outside the prison (i.e., a public execution), the prison warden or deputy, in addition to participating in the execution of capital punishment, is obliged to verify the incarcerated person’s identity against the court judgment by reviewing identity documents or other reliable evidence, confirm it, and sign the official record.
  • Article 43: Preparation of the execution arrangements, following the notification by the Enforcement Judge, is among the duties of the prison warden or the deputy. The notification of the execution must be given at least 48 hours in advance to allow for the necessary arrangements.
  • Article 44: After the execution of a capital punishment, the criminal enforcement judge must prepare an official record of the proceedings, which must be signed by the prison warden or deputy, the forensic physician or trusted physician, the victim’s heirs or their lawyer or representative (if present), and the local police chief or deputy.

This regulation was enacted pursuant to Article 216 of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code[4] and Article 549 of the 2013 Code of Criminal Procedure[5].

In many Iranian prisons, violations extend beyond domestic laws governing detainee treatment to breaches of international legal standards. For example, Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—which requires the humane treatment of prisoners and respect for their inherent dignity—is routinely violated through the actions of, and under the responsibility of, prison wardens in Iran.For example, in September this year, Babak Shahbazi[6] was executed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on charges of “espionage and intelligence and security cooperation with Israel.”

Allahkaram Azizi[7], the head of Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, played a central role as the official responsible for coordinating and supervising the implementation of judicial rulings. He was instrumental in preparing the grounds, issuing orders, overseeing the presence of security and medical personnel, and carrying out the execution.

In another case, a prisoner named Amir Neysi[8] died in Ahvaz Central Prison due to a severe infection and lack of adequate medical care in prison.

According to a report by HRANA, he had recently contracted an internal infection, and despite a rising fever and the worsening of his physical condition, prison authorities refused to transfer him to a medical facility outside the prison.

Khosrow Torofi[9], the head of this prison, who is responsible for the supervision and protection of the lives of prisoners, is responsible in part for these violations.

Spreading Justice Information on the Prison Wardens of the Past and Present

One of the core goals behind establishing the Spreading Justice initiative was to show how officials implicated in human rights violations continue to be promoted, protected, or kept in their posts despite the allegations against them.

Recently, however, the Prisons, Security, and Corrective Measures Organization, part of Iran’s Judiciary, has restricted access to the news section of its website for users outside Iran. This has prevented the documentation of key information, including the new workplace assignments of former prison wardens. These updates now appear to be deliberately concealed, obscuring their movement up the chain of command.

Despite this, Spreading Justice continues to complete and update these records through alternative methods. To counter such tactics, our database enables users to download PDF versions of reports and other relevant documents, ensuring that even if similar restrictions are imposed elsewhere, the removal of online content will not prevent access to essential information.

NameCurrent PositionLinkLocation
Omid SalehiHead of Kermanshah Central Prisonhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj56750/Kermanshah
Allah Karam AziziHead of Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karajhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj67409/Karaj
Khosrow TorofiHead of Ahvaz Central Prisonhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj32049/Ahvaz
Morteza PiriHead of Zahedan Prisonhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj08341/Zahedan
Hassan Madadi MoghadamHead of Yazd Central Prisonhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj25978/Yazd
Dariush BakhshiHead of Urmia prisonhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj51196/Urmia
Mohammad Haji MazdaraniHead of Great Tehran Penitentiaryhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj93937/Tehran
Hedayat FarzadiHead of Evin prison in Tehranhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj91552/Tehran
Hadi Esmaiel ZadeganHead of  Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhadhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj52619/Mashahd
NamePrevious PositionCurrent PositionLinkLocation
Ashkan KamaliFormer head of Qezel Hesar prison in KarajUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj50106/Unknown
Reza MoazzenFormer head of Arak Central PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj07205/Unknown
Mahmoud TorabiFormer head of Rasht Central PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj00114/Unknown
Seyd Morad NasirianFormer head of Isfahan Central PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj09277/Unknown
Hossein ShalikarFormer Head of Sari PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj26447/Unknown
Gholamreza ZiaeiFormer Head of Evin PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj88930/Unknown
Abbas RamezaniFormer Head of Qazvin PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj13792/Unknown
Hamid MohammadiFormer Head of Evin PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj92037/Unknown
Yaghoub Sarbaz JodaFormer Head of Ardabil Central PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj83453/Unknown
Bahman ShirafkanHead of Nowshahr PrisonUnknownhttps://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj18348/Unknown

[1]Prisons and Security and Correctional Measures Organization. (2021). Executive regulation of the Prisons and Security and Correctional Measures Organization [PDF]. Ekhtebar. https://www.ekhtebar.ir/wp–content/uploads/2021/05/آیین%E2%80%8Cنامه–اجرایی–سازمان–زندان%E2%80%8Cها–و–اقدامات–تامینی–و–تربیتی–کشور.pdf

[2] Regulation on the Procedure for Execution of Hudud Sentences, Capital Punishment, Amputation, Qisas of Life, Limb and Injury, Diyah, Flogging, Exile, Banishment, Mandatory Residence and Prohibition of Residence in Certain Locations. (2019, June 17). Regulation No. 9000/27863/200 [PDF]. 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/

[3] “Iran: Islamic Penal Code (Approved April 21, 2013),” Ekhtebar (PDF), https://www.ekhtebar.ir/wp–content/uploads/2013/05/قانون–مجازات-92-1.pdf.

[4] “Criminal Procedure Code of Iran, with Amendments 2015,” Ekhtebar (PDF), https://www.ekhtebar.ir/wp–content/uploads/2015/06/قانون–آیین–دادرسی–کیفری–با–اصلاحات-1394-سایت–حقوقی–اختبار1.pdf.

[5] Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced the execution of Babak Shahbazi, Hrana, 17 September 2025.https://www.hra-news.org/2025/hranews/a-56640

[6] Spreading Justice – Individual Violator Profile: Allahkaram Azizi. https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj67409/

[7] Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz: Death of a Prisoner Due to Lack of Medical Care, 18 November 2025.
https://www.hra-news.org/2025/hranews/a-de214296/

[8]Spreading Justice – Individual Violator Profile: Khosrow Torofi. https://spreadingjustice.org/individual-violator/sj32049/

Over 5,000 executions in last 10 years, 2,316 drug-related

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee

According to HRA, at least 5,000 executions in last 10 years, 2,316 drug-related

Every year on October 10th, the World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed globally to promote awareness surrounding the complexities of capital punishment. This day serves as a catalyst for conversations, education, and activism, all aimed at advancing human rights and the global movement to eliminate the death penalty. 

As of October 2023, Iran has been executing an average of 10 people per week. From 2013 to 2023, HRANA has identified a total of 5034 executions, out of which 2,316 were drug-related. The majority of those executed were men. Iran has also sentenced 31 juvenile offenders to death, including one for a drug-related offense. It’s important to note that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which strictly emphasizes that the death penalty should only be used for the “most serious crimes,” and any deviation from this principle would be considered a violation of the Right to Life.

It is crucial to acknowledge that Iran’s domestic judicial system is plagued with numerous due process violations. These violations include coerced forced confessions, torture, inhumane treatment, and a lack of adequate legal representation to name a mere few. Frequently, judges and prosecutors involved in grave right to life violations act with absolute impunity.

 

 

It is evident that any death sentence imposed for drug-related offenses represents a clear violation of the right to life. The persistence of such executions, particularly when trials are marred by due process violations, is deeply concerning. Iran should immediately establish a moratorium on all executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Report on Execution in Iran

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)- On the World Day against the Death Penalty, the Center of Statistics of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has published its annual report in an effort to sensitize the public about the death penalty situation in Iran, particularly thousands of death-row convicts awaiting their looming executions.

Click on the picture to download the full repport

HRA’s Statistics Center relies on the work of HRANA reporters, as well as a network of independent and verifiable sources. It also incorporates the judicial authorities’ announcements or confirmations of prisoner executions on media, and as such, is exposed to a margin of error representing efforts by the Iranian authorities to omit, conceal, or restrict the collection of such data.

Between October 10, 2022, and October 8, 2023, at least 659 convicts were executed by hanging in Iran, rising to 24% compared to the same period last year. Of these executions, Seven was carried out in public. Many of the defendants were denied a fair trial and due process.

HRANA obtained 580 reports regarding executions and the death penalty in Iran during this period. The identified executed individuals include 17 women and 1 juvenile offender under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crime. Compared to the last period, the execution of female offenders has decreased 15%.

According to the reports obtained by HRANA, over this period, Iranian authorities sentenced at least 164 defendants to the death penalty, including at least 5 women, and 2 public executions.  Issuing death sentences rose by 84% compared to the last year.

In a State where there are serious due process concerns, with judicial systems headed by judges with nicknames like “The Judge of Death ” the international community mustn’t turn a blind eye. Iran must be made to answer for such egregious violations. Iran should immediately impose a moratorium on the death penalty with a view of abolishing altogether.

As the chart below shows a breakdown of executions by capital offense: 56.60% for drug and narcotic offenses, 35.05% for murder, 2.58% for rape, 2.28% for unknown reasons, 1.21% for political or security-related offenses, 0.61% for “Corruption on Earth”, 0.61% for spying, terror, and bombing, 0.46% for “Corruption on Earth” (non-political), 0.46% for ideological, political, or religious reasons, 0.15% for Adultery – Types of consensual sexual relations

The pie chart below displays execution numbers by the province in which they took place. According to this chart, the Alborz (where three overcrowded prisons are located)  had the highest number of executions at 15.33%. Sistan and Baluchestan and Kerman Provinces come second and third, with 11.53% and 8.65%, respectively.

The chart below depicts the distribution of executions’ information sources. The chart indicates that 63% of HRANA-confirmed executions were not announced by the official Iranian sources. Undisclosed executions are referred to as “secret” executions.

The chart down shows the execution numbers by gender.

The chart below displays execution numbers by the prison where the executions were carried out. The Zahedan Prison And Adel Abad of Shiraz officials have carried out the highest number.

The chart below displays percentage of executions carried out in public Vs the number of executions that were carried out in prison. According to statistics, 1.06% of the executions in Iran were carried out in public.

At least 4,800 executions in last 10 years, 2,196 drug-related

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee

According to HRA, at least 4,800 executions in last 10 years, 2,196 drug-related

As of May 2023, Iran has been executing an average of 10 people per week. From 2013 to 2023, HRANA has identified a total of 4,829 executions, out of which 2,196 were drug-related. The majority of those executed were men. Iran has also executed 41 juvenile offenders including one for a drug-related offense. It’s important to note that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which strictly emphasizes that the death penalty should only be used for the “most serious crimes,” and any deviation from this principle would be considered a violation of the Right to Life.

In 2017, the Iranian government accepted amendments to the country’s Drug Law, introducing 46 new articles. These amendments primarily raised the minimum possession amount for both natural and synthetic drugs before the death penalty could be imposed. As a result, individuals found with lesser amounts could face fines or imprisonment instead. This amendment, at first sight, significantly reduced the number of executions related to drug offenses. In previous years, drug charges accounted for a significant portion, ranging from 40% to 60%, of all executions. However, from 2018 to 2020, this percentage never exceeded 10%. There are a number of competing analyses surrounding this drop. Unfortunately, this positive trend was short-lived, as drug-related offenses constituted 49.20% of all executions in 2021. Despite international outcry and purported efforts to curb drug-related executions, the number of executions continues to rise, often leading to protests from the families of the prisoners.

It is crucial to acknowledge that Iran’s domestic judicial system is plagued with numerous due process violations. These violations include coerced forced confessions, torture, inhumane treatment, and a lack of adequate legal representation to name a mere few. Frequently, judges and prosecutors involved in grave right to life violations act with absolute impunity. 

It is evident that any death sentence imposed for drug-related offenses represents a clear violation of the right to life. Skylar Thompson, Director of Global Advocacy and Accountability at HRA says, “The persistence of such executions, particularly when trials are marred by due process violations, is deeply concerning. Iran should immediately establish a moratorium on all executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances.”

Three protesters face death in Iran, in year of more than 200 executions

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee

By Miriam Berger, The Washington Post, May 17, 2023 at 4:52 p.m. EDT

Cars and crowds gathered outside Dastgerd prison in the Iranian city of Isfahan on Sunday night, in the hopes that their demonstration could halt the execution of three men facing death on charges connected to the anti-government protests that began last year and swept the country.

Days earlier, Iran’s state broadcaster had aired footage of the harried-looking men — Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaqoubi and Saleh Mirhashemi — appearing to confess and incriminate one another. Rights groups said the statements, which authorities often air ahead of executions, were very likely given under torture or duress.

The men survived the night. But the executions, for which authorities have not publicly provided a date, are thought to be imminent. The three are not alone: In response to the protests, Tehran has wielded the threat of capital punishment to crack down on and deter dissent, local and international rights groups say, amid a spate of executions in 2023 — at least 209 in just five months, according to the United Nations.

Executions overall were on the rise in Iran last year, according to human rights group Amnesty International’s annual report on global executions, released this week — a trend that appears set to continue.

Since December, Iran has executed four men for alleged crimes committed during the protests. Forty have been charged with capital offenses and the Supreme Court has upheld eight cases, the Isfahan ones included, according to Skylar Thompson, the head of global advocacy and accountability at HRANA, a Virginia-based activist news agency focused on Iran.

The three men are accused of fatally shooting two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Basij volunteer force, and one police officer, on Nov. 16, 2022, during the height of the “women, life, freedom” movement that erupted this fall amid protests rejecting clerical rule. The ordeal became known as the Isfahan House case after a historical site close to the alleged attack.

The three men were arrested on Nov. 21. After a swift trial, one of the judges most associated with sentencing protesters to hang found them guilty of “waging war against god,” a charge that can merit the death penalty under Iran’s legal system, which is based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Advocates say the government did not present credible evidence of a connection between the defendants and the bullets and guns allegedly used in the killings, or a consistent account of the central facts of the case. The defendants were reportedly denied access to a lawyer of their choosing — as is the norm in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts, which serve as a parallel legal system to protect the Islamic republic.

Soon after the trial, Kazemi called his mother from Isfahan’s Dastgerd prison and told her they were tortured and forced to confess, according to the family. “We were told to say these things in court all of it under torture. I did not have any gun or do anything,” Kazemi told his fiancee, according to a recording of the call obtained by HRANA, which The Washington Post has not verified independently. A judge upheld the ruling in early May.

On Monday, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, the head of Iran’s judiciary, said that his institution would use “the utmost decisiveness and speed of action” in cases of killed Iranian security forces, according to comments carried by state media outlets. He did not directly address the Isfahan case.

Before his arrest, Kazemi, 31, had a business making copper kitchenware, according to news reports. Mirhashemi, 36, is a karate champion and bodybuilder instructor. Yaqoubi, 38, worked at a real estate company and was the sole caretaker of his elderly parents, Thompson said.

More than 20,000 people were arrested and at least 500 people killed during the anti-government protest movement that swept Iran for months after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in mid-September, in the custody of the country’s so-called morality police. Iranian authorities have released many protesters starting in February but have simultaneously stepped up enforcement of mandatory hijabs for women.

In tandem with the ongoing political repression, Iran has carried out this year a “frightening” spate of executions unrelated to the protest movement, mainly of men from minority communities charged with drug offenses, U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said in a recent statement. The country’s more than 200 executions this year form an “abominable record” amounting to about 10 people killed each week, in a country among those leading the world in executions.

Exact figures are likely higher yet impossible to determine: there is little transparency around charges, trials and the outcomes of these cases. Families of those executed or on death row are often under extreme government pressure to stay silent.

Last year, Iran executed at least 576 people, an increase of 83 percent from the previous year’s record of at least 314 people, according to the Amnesty International report.

The recent “alarming surge in executions” is part of a broader pattern of impunity that’s been ongoing for years, said Thompson. Individual cases often draw international attention for a period, she said. But executions continue “because of a complete lack of accountability.”

“In the meantime, people’s lives hang in the balance,” she said.

Alarming Surge in Executions in Iran: At Least 45 Executions in Seven Days

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee

Over the past week, at least 45 prisoners, including two women, have been executed in various Iranian prisons for drug-related crimes and murder, marking a growing trend of execution in the country. HRANA has compiled a statistical analysis of the details of the executions during this period.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, there has been a noticeable increase in the execution of prisoners in Iranian prisons over the past week.

Based on the reports compiled by HRANA, the death sentences were carried out in several prisons, including Rajai Shahr (Karaj), Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Urmia, Ardabil, Dastgerd (Isfahan), Vakilabad (Mashhad), Neishabur, Torbat-e-Jam, Rasht, Yazd, Birjand, Qazvin, Minab, Bandar Abbas, Zahedan, Khorramabad, and Iranshahr.

Out of the 45 executed prisoners, 29 were convicted of drug-related charges, while at least 15 were executed for murder.
At least 19 death-row prisoners were also transferred to solitary confinement in Salmas, Urmia, Khorin, Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Yazd, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, and Zahedan, which could be a prelude to their execution. HRANA is investigating their fate, and the statistics presented in this report could increase.

As of the time of writing, most of these executions have not been announced by official sources or media inside Iran.

The issuance and execution of death sentences violate the right to live and have been heavily criticized by international organizations, with Iran ranking first globally in execution rate per capita.

In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports on the execution of 565 people and death sentences for 92 people, six of whom were sentenced to be hanged in public. Of these 565 executions, two death sentences were carried out in public, and five were juvenile offenders who were under 18 years old at the time of committing the alleged crime.

At least 192 people, including 8 women, have been executed in Iran from January 1 to May 5. The majority of these executions were for drug-related offenses and murder. Moreover, 71 death sentences were issued, and 27 other sentences were confirmed by the Supreme Court.

The breakdown of charges for these executions is as follows: 122 individuals were executed for drug-related offenses, 59 for murder, 6 for undisclosed charges, 1 for adultery, 1 for ideological charges, 1 for corruption, 1 for Moharebeh (political security), and 1 for non-political Moharebeh.

Skylar Thompson, the head of Global Advocacy and Accountability of Human Rights Activists, stated that “the surging rate of executions in Iran illustrates an utter disregard for human life. Under no circumstance does the ongoing use of the death penalty, for drug-related offenses in particular, amount to what is permittable under international law. Iranian authorities have an absolute obligation to uphold international human rights standards and instead, there is ongoing impunity for grave violations of the right to life–and more. The international community must not delay in sounding the alarm, they should call for a stay of executions for those currently facing execution and a moratorium on the death penalty, at a minimum, for crimes not amounting to “most serious” under international law.”

November 2019 Protester In Iran Sentenced To Death

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee

12/5/2021
Author: Maryam Sinaee

A protester accused of shooting a Special Riot Force commander in Mahshahr, southern Iran in the nation-wide November 2019 protests has been sentenced to death.

The foreign-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported Friday that authorities informed the family of Abbas Shelishat (Driss), 45, that he has been sentenced to death on a number of charges including taking up arms against the Islamic Republic and shooting a commander of the Special Anti-Riot Forces, Reza Sayyadi, during protests in Mahshahr in November 2019.

A source close to the family told HRANA that the judicial authorities gave a verbal notice of the sentence to the family four months ago and have since refused to provide any official confirmation of the sentence to them or Shelishat’s two lawyers who have also not even been allowed to read the case files.

The Judiciary has also sentenced several others to death for the protests in November 2019 including three young men whose death sentences have been confirmed by the Supreme Court but not carried out yet.

Abbas Shelishat, sentenced to death. Undated photo

Abbas Shelishat, sentenced to death. Undated photo

Shelishat’s brother, Mohsen, who has also been accused of complicity in the killing of the anti-riot officer, has been sentenced to life in prison, the family have said.

Karim Dahimi, Iranian Arab activist, told Iran International Saturday that this case has been sent to the Supreme Court for approval. According to Dahimi, a second expert has testified to the court that Shelishat could not be responsible for the killing of the officer as Shileshat’s position at the time of the killing made it impossible for him to shoot the officer in the back.

Sources close to the family have told HRANA that Shelishat’s wife died of a brain stroke after finding out about the sentence. In the past four months the family apparently kept the news of the death sentence secret waiting to get official confirmation.

A few weeks after the protests, the state-run television aired a video of Shileshat and other prisoners whose faces were obscured and presented as “confessions of armed terrorists”. The state media described the Mahshahr protesters as terrorists and Arab separatist groups.

In the video, a man allegedly Shileshat, said with his brother’s complicity he had shot an officer in a green uniform during the protests from the roof of his house.

In the same program, two other prisoners spoke about the events at the time of the killing with one of them claiming that two protesters who arrived on motorcycles shot at police officers while the officers were praying together.

The events described in the program happened during a bloody crackdown by the Revolutionary Guards and other security forces against largely unarmed protesters in the southern city of Mahshahr and its suburbs after protesters gained control of the city’s transit roads.

The port city of Mahshahr is in the oil-producing Khuzestan province and close to large petrochemical plants and other oil facilities.

The crackdown on protesters seeking refuge in the marshlands on the outskirts of the city security forces reportedly opened fire indiscriminately. The lethal attack has come to be widely referred to as the Mahshahr Massacre among Iranians.

President Rouhani’s chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, on December 11, 2019 confirmed the reports about the killing of protesters in Mahsharhr but claimed that a group of armed individuals were responsible for the violence and shooting at both the protesters and the security forces.

Two weeks after the incident in Mahshahr, the New York Times reported that between 40 to 100 protesters were killed during the crackdown based on multiple interviews with eyewitnesses including a nurse at a hospital where the wounded were treated.

The Extra-Territorial Assassination of Mousa Babakhani

Posted on by Keyvan Rafiee


Human Rights Activists in Iran’s Spreading Justice team (HRA-SJ) has identified and profiled Sarmad Nazerfard as the individual responsible for the assassination of Mousa Babakhani in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Mousa Babakhani was a member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), a known opposition party of the Islamic Republic. Nazerfard is believed to have assassinated Babakhani before fleeing to Iran.

The Assassination

According to sources close to HRA, it is believed Nazerfard was commissioned by the security services of the Islamic Republic, namely the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization.

Erbil police and third party news sources have confirmed that Nazerfard shot and killed Babakhani in an Erbil hotel on August 6th, 2021. An informed source stated to HRA-SJ, “The room where Mousa Babakhani’s body was found is a room registered to Nazerfard, who is also wanted by the Erbil police.”

Sources revealed to HRA-SJ that Babakhani traveled to Erbil to meet with Nazerfard. The two were in contact the night preceding the assasination.

Nazerfard allegedly stayed at the Goli Soleimani Hotel for eight months and had been in contact with Mr. Babakhani for several years, working to gain his trust. According to Ismail Sharafi, a member of the Central Committee, Mr. Babakhani believed that Nazerfard was a friend.

Hotel staff testified that Mousa Babakhani entered the hotel on his own and reported directly to Nazerfard’s room. Nazerfard reportedly confiscated Babakhani’s personal belongings, including  his mobile phone. Sourced believe Nazerfard carried the belongings with him upon fleeing to Iran.

Nazerfard Flees to Iran

It is believed that Nazerfard entered Iran via the Iraq-Iran border at Khanaqin. According to the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Security Agency, in Erbil, Sarmad Nazerfard travelled to the border town of Khanaqin after leaving Babakhani.

According to the KDP, “Nazerfard was not a member of the Peshmerga or even a member of the party and his relationship with Mousa Babakhani was not a party affiliation at all.” The source continued,  “Sarmad’s name does not exist in any of the party’s organizational records.”

Who is Sarmad Nazerfard?

Born in Baghdad, Nazerfard, immigrated to Iraq at least four years before fleeing to Iran. Kamal Karimi, a member of  leadership of the KDP, confirmed in an interview with the judiciary that the history of Sarmad Nazerfard’s presence in Erbil dates back at least four years. According to Karimi, “Sarmad Nazerfard, also known as Saman Abdi and Sarmad Abdi in Erbil, had been in friendly relations with Mr. Babakhani after arriving in Erbil and had met him regularly.”

According to Kamal Karimi, Sarmad Nazerfard regularly traveled to Iraq and Khanaqin and always claimed that he was going to Baghdad to visit his father. According to Karimi, Sarmad even told the hotelier when he was about to leave the hotel after Babakhani’s assassination that he had to go to Baghdad immediately to visit his father.

The Role of the IRGC

There is a long history of IRGC commission murders in Iraqi-Kurdistan.

A member of KDP leadership stated, “Although we do not have reliable information about Nazerfard’s relationship to Iran’s security agencies, the Revolutionary Guards have previously carried out such work, and through this agency, people from Iran are given missions.” “They have previously come to Kurdistan to carry out sabotage and assassination.” Nazerfard, and those believed to have commissioned his services must be held accountable.

Extra-Territorial Assassinations

Extra-territorial targeted killing outside of war is a violation of international human rights law prohibiting the arbitrary deprivation of life. “Iran has long practiced extra-territorial assassinations against dissidents abroad. This illegal practice of state-sanctioned targeted killing must be condemned by the international community and perpetrators must be brought to justice,” said Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator at HRA-SJ.

More information on Nazerfard can be found via this link to his unique Spreading Justice profile. If you have any additional information on Nazerfard you can anonymously submit to HRA-SJ  here. 

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For media inquiries please contact HRA Senior Advocacy Coordinator Skylar Thompson at [email protected]FacebookTwitterEmailShare