In a harrowing letter smuggled from Iran’s notorious Ghezel Hesar prison, Saeed Masouri, one of the country’s longest-serving political prisoners, has exposed the inner workings of the Islamic Republic’s ruthless execution system. After 25 years behind bars, Masouri paints a disturbing portrait of a regime that uses death not only as punishment but as a calculated tool of repression.
Masouri’s revelations come amid a chilling surge in state executions. At least 176 people have been hanged in the past month alone—an average of more than five executions per day. Human rights monitors and Iranian insiders believe the spike is a deliberate campaign by the regime to intimidate the public and suppress dissent, especially as international focus shifts toward nuclear negotiations rather than Tehran’s human rights abuses.
Arrested for his association with the (PMOI), Masouri has long been a firsthand witness to the system’s cruelty. In his letter to the United Nations, he describes how death sentences are decided not through due process but through a facade orchestrated by Iran’s security and intelligence agencies. Trials last mere minutes, judges rarely review case files, and lawyers are routinely denied access to evidence. “Verdicts are predetermined,” Masouri writes, “and the legal process is nothing but a stage play.”
The regime routinely uses psychological and emotional torture to break prisoners. Threats against family members are common. Forced confessions, sometimes broadcast on state TV, are extracted under duress. Masouri emphasizes that even cooperating with the system doesn’t guarantee survival. “Even if you confess to false charges, it might not save you,” he says. “And if you don’t, they threaten your family. They make you feel as if your execution is their fault.”
The manipulation extends to every corner of the judicial process. Files are marked as “classified” to prevent scrutiny. Evidence is fabricated. Accused individuals are denied the chance to defend themselves, and lawyers are left powerless—often caught between participating in a farce or doing nothing as their clients face death.
Masouri cited the cases of two prisoners, Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, who are currently at imminent risk of execution under such conditions. He warns that this pattern is not unique but widespread. The message from the state is clear: dissent—real or imagined—will be met with death, and the blame will fall not on the government but on the victims and their families.
According to the (NCRI), over 1,100 executions have taken place since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s current appointee took office, marking a sharp increase from 2023’s 853 executions. Hossein Abedini, deputy director of NCRI’s UK office, stated that the regime’s use of executions as a political weapon reflects its desperation and fear of mass unrest.
Iran’s death chambers operate behind a thick veil of secrecy. But with the courage of voices like Masouri’s, that veil is slowly being torn away.