Iran: Six men at risk of execution after flawed trial

Six men—Abolhassan Montazer, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, Pouya Ghobadi, and Vahid Bani Amerian—face imminent execution in Iran. In October 2024, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, Branch 26, sentenced them to death for “armed rebellion against the state” (baghi).

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Head of Judiciary urging the Iranian government to:

  • Immediately halt any plans to execute Abolhassan Montazer, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, Pouya Ghobadi, and Vahid Bani Amerian, and quash their convictions and death sentences. Release them, as their detention is arbitrary and violates their fair trial rights. 
  • Provide the six men with access to their families and legal counsel and protect them from further torture and other ill-treatment. 
  • Investigate allegations of torture and ensure anyone responsible is brought to justice in fair trials without resorting to the death penalty. 
  • Immediately establish an official moratorium on executions with the aim of abolishing the death penalty. 

Write to:

Head of judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei

c/o Embassy of Iran to the European Union,

Avenue Franklin Roosevelt No. 15,

1050 Bruxelles, Belgium

Email: iranemb.bru@mfa.gov.ir

Instagram: @ejeii.ir

Salutation: Dear Mr. Gholamhossein, Mohseni Ejei,

Brutal arrests and inhumane detention

On December 22, 2023, security agents arrested Vahid Bani Amerian and Abolhassan Montazer in Tehran. During the arrest, agents severely beat Vahid, causing eye injuries, bruising, and bleeding. He was held in solitary confinement for two months in Section 209 of Evin Prison, in violation of the prohibition against torture and ill-treatment. For two weeks, his family was denied any information about his fate, amounting to enforced disappearance under international law. 

Abolhassan Montazer also suffered beatings during his arrest, leading to severe chest and lung pain that made breathing difficult. While detained, he endured harsh interrogations, exposure to cold winter conditions in an inadequately heated cell, and denial of necessary healthcare.  Other detainees faced similar abuse.

Babak Alipour was arrested on December 27, 2023, while Pouya Ghobadi and Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi were arrested on February 23, 2024, near Iran’s border in Chaldoran. Both men were transferred to Evin Prison, where they underwent prolonged interrogations. Pouya was held in solitary confinement for three months, and Mohammad was denied essential medication for gout during his detention. Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, another detainee, was reportedly flogged by prison agents. 

Pouya Ghobadi

Unfair trial and forced confessions

During their trial in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, the eight defendants, including two others not sentenced to death, denied all accusations of armed rebellion against the state. Multiple defendants and lawyers told the court that their confessions were obtained under torture and other ill-treatment. Despite these objections, the court sentenced six of the men to death and imposed prison terms on all eight. 

The court also sentenced Pouya Ghobadi to imprisonment for attempting to leave the country. Mohammad’s brothers, Ali and Mojtaba Taghavi Sangdehi, received prison terms of two years and six years and seven months, respectively, for alleged national security offenses. 

Death penalty as a tool of oppression

Since the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising, Iranian authorities have escalated the use of the death penalty to suppress dissent and instill fear. In 2023, at least 853 executions were recorded, a 48% increase from the previous year. This trend continued in 2024, targeting dissidents and ethnic minorities through grossly unfair trials in Revolutionary Courts. 

These courts lack independence and often impose severe sentences under the influence of intelligence bodies. They operate in secrecy, undermining fair trial rights. Two men, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, are currently at imminent risk of execution due to alleged support for the banned opposition group PMOI. Iranian officials routinely use derogatory terms to refer to individuals associated with the PMOI, further dehumanizing them. 

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases. It is a violation of the right to life and constitutes cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment, as recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Please take action as soon as possible until April 30, 2025! The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.