The Iranian regime began 2025 with a disturbing surge in executions, recording over 99 executions throughout January. The year’s very first day saw 12 prisoners hanged across the country, including five in Qezel-Hesar Prison, five in Bandar Abbas, and two more in Yasuj and Malayer.
A Month Marked by Executions
By January 6, at least 31 prisoners had been executed. Confirmed cases include:
- January 2: Mostafa Shakeri and Khosrow Khodadadi (Zanjan)
- January 4: Valiollah Kamalpour (Semnan) and Abolfazl Azadi (Hamedan)
- January 5: Khalil Alizahi, Mohammad-Reza Hossein Zadeh, Amir Mohammad Farahani, and Sajjad Arzandeh (Adelabad Prison, Shiraz)
- January 6: Ali Sa’di (Ahvaz)
Executions continued throughout the month, often involving multiple prisoners on a single day:
- January 20: Five prisoners, including Aref Azizi and Gholamreza Seyed Mohammadkhani (Mashhad), Saeed Dayani (Isfahan), Hojat Shahriari (Borazjan), and Ehsan Heidarali (Qazvin)
- January 21: Two prisoners, Sardar Mohammad (Bandar Abbas) and Karim Faridi (Zanjan)
- January 22: Seven prisoners, including Javad Jaberi and Omid Besharatlu (Qezel Hesar), Ahmad Sasouli (a 28-year-old Baluch prisoner), and three others in Yazd. Another prisoner was executed in Saveh for allegedly killing an SSF commander
This relentless execution campaign appears to be part of the regime’s strategy to instill fear and suppress potential uprisings.
Imminent Execution of Political Prisoners
On January 7, Iran’s judiciary upheld death sentences for Behrouz Ehsani (69) and Mehdi Hassani (48) on charges linked to their alleged membership in the (PMOI). Initially sentenced on September 16, 2024, by Judge Iman Afshari of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, they faced accusations including “waging war against God” (moharebeh), “spreading corruption on earth,” and “rebellion” (baghi).
Both prisoners endured severe physical and psychological torture at Evin Prison’s Ward 209 following their arrests in 2022. On January 26, 2025, they were forcibly transferred to Qezel Hesar Prison, a notorious site for political executions.
Ehsani and Hassani were prominent figures in the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, launched in January 2024 by political prisoners to protest against executions. Their case underscores the political motivations behind many of the regime’s death sentences.
One Year of “No to Execution Tuesdays”
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign marked its 53rd consecutive week on January 29, 2025. Initiated by political prisoners at Qezel Hesar Prison, the movement has expanded to 34 prisons nationwide, including:
- Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 & 8)
- Greater Tehran Central Prison
- Karaj Central Prison
- Ahvaz Sheiban & Sepidar Prisons
- Mashhad Prison
- Isfahan Dastgerd Prison
- Shiraz Adelabad Prison (Women’s Ward)
- Urmia, Tabriz, Rasht Lakan, and Naqadeh Prisons
Participants, including political prisoners and civil rights activists, engage in hunger strikes and protests every Tuesday to oppose the regime’s use of the death penalty.
A statement signed by over 3,000 political, religious, and cultural figures from 78 countries condemned Iran’s execution policy, emphasizing that the regime employs capital punishment as a tool for political repression. The statement criticized the international community’s failure to take decisive action and called for urgent intervention.
Crackdown on Female Political Prisoners
In response to a sit-in protest against the transfer of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, female political prisoners in Evin Prison have faced harsh reprisals. Starting February 4, 2025, prison authorities denied visitation rights to these women for three weeks as punishment for their anti-government slogans and protests.
The affected prisoners include:
- Azar Korvandi, Reyhaneh Ansari, Forough Taqi Pour, Shiva Esmaeili, Maryam Yahyavi, Golrokh Iraee, Sakineh Parvaneh, Zahra Safaei, Marzieh Farsi, Tahereh Nouri, Motahareh Gonaei, Nahid Khodajo, Elaheh Fouladi, Nasrin Khezri, Anisha Asadollahi, and Samaneh Asghari
The ban covers both in-person and cabin visits, highlighting the regime’s continued repression of political prisoners, particularly women activists.
Conclusion
January 2025 stands as a grim reminder of the Iranian regime’s escalating human rights violations. The mass execution of over 99 prisoners, including ethnic minorities like Baluchis, demonstrates the government’s ongoing use of the death penalty to intimidate and oppress dissent.
With the international community increasingly aware of these atrocities, urgent and coordinated efforts are necessary to halt executions and protect political prisoners facing imminent death sentences.