The United Nations has issued an urgent appeal to the Iranian government, demanding the immediate suspension of the death sentences of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. Their executions were recently upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court despite widespread concerns about due process violations, including allegations of torture and forced confessions.
Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, voiced her concerns on the social media platform X, urging the Iranian authorities to halt the impending executions. “I call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to stop the execution of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. Their death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court after trials that were reportedly tainted by torture and coerced confessions,” she stated.
In addition, the UN Special Procedures, a coalition of independent experts, has reiterated the call for Iran to cease executions based on ambiguous national security charges that lack fair trial guarantees. Among them, Margaret Satterthwaite, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and Morris Tidball-Binz, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, confirmed they are actively engaging with Iranian authorities regarding the matter.
من از جمهوری اسلامی ایران میخواهم که اجرای حکم اعدام بهروز احسانی و مهدی حسنی را متوقف کند. احکام اعدام آنها پس از محاکماتی که گفته میشود با شکنجه و اعترافات اجباری همراه بوده، توسط دیوان عالی کشور تأیید شده است. https://t.co/pjGQ0h9kOz
— Mai Sato (@drmaisato.bsky.social) (@drmaisato) February 25, 2025
Ehsani, 70, and Hassani, 48, now face imminent execution following the Supreme Court’s rejection of their retrial request on February 23, 2025. Originally sentenced to death on September 16, 2024, by Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, they were convicted of serious charges, including “rebellion (baghi), waging war against God (moharebeh), corruption on earth (efsad-e fel arz), and conspiracy against national security.” The Supreme Court reaffirmed their sentences on January 7, 2025.
Ehsani, a former political prisoner from the 1980s, was arrested in Tehran on December 5, 2024, and reportedly subjected to torture in Evin Prison’s notorious Ward 209. Following his sentencing, he made a defiant statement: “This execution-driven regime knows nothing else. I will not bargain over my life. I am prepared to give my humble life for the freedom of the Iranian people.”
Similarly, Hassani, a father of three, was arrested in Zanjan on September 11, 2022, before being transferred to Evin Prison, where reports suggest he endured severe mistreatment. Amnesty International has condemned their death sentences, issuing multiple statements in January 2025 describing the trials as grossly unfair and calling for immediate intervention.
🚨 Urgent — #Iran https://t.co/qU0I3WGU2B
— Margaret Satterthwaite (@SRjudgeslawyers) February 25, 2025
The executions of Ehsani and Hassani have sparked global outrage, with human rights organizations urging the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council, and other international bodies to take swift action. As diplomatic and activist efforts intensify, the international community remains vigilant, emphasizing the need for immediate measures to prevent what many deem an egregious miscarriage of justice within Iran’s judicial system.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu
