Key facts
- UN experts urged Iran to cancel death sentences for 10 young men convicted in connection with anti-government protests.
- Two men, aged 18 and 23, were executed on July 19 in the same case.
- The experts stated that sentencing 12 people in one hearing without clarity on individual responsibility violates fair trial standards.
- The men were arrested for protests on January 8 in Isfahan, which led to the killing of four security force members.
- Families of at least two of the remaining 10 men have been summoned for final visits, indicating imminent executions.
- The UN experts expressed concern that Iran is fast-tracking capital punishment cases related to protests and national security.
United Nations experts have urged Iran to halt the impending executions of 10 young men who were sentenced to death in connection with anti-government protests. The appeal follows the July 19 execution of two other men in the same case, Erfan Esfandiari, reportedly 18, and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, a 23-year-old Afghan national, actions that the experts strongly condemned.
According to credible information, families of at least two of the remaining 10 men have been summoned for final visits, suggesting that more executions are imminent. The experts noted that these executions continue a pattern linked to nationwide protests that began in December, with Iranian authorities carrying out multiple sentences in recent months. In March, three young men were executed in Qom, and in April, four young men were executed after being convicted in relation to an alleged attack on a Basij base in Tehran.
The UN experts, who are special rapporteurs and members of working groups on forced disappearances and arbitrary detention, stated that sentencing 12 people to death in one hearing, in a closed courtroom and without clarity as to each defendant's individual responsibility, violates established fair trial standards. The 12 men were arrested in connection with protests on January 8 in Isfahan's Alikhani Square that led to the killing of four members of the security forces. They were accused of involvement in the deaths, as well as acts of arson and vandalism, and were reportedly convicted based on televised confessions.
The Mission expressed concern that Iranian authorities are fast-tracking capital punishment cases related to the protests and national security issues. This concern was heightened by a July 15 announcement by Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Salehi, following a directive from the Head of the Judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, to expedite proceedings for cases related to recent hostilities and protests. The experts warned that this announcement raises serious fears of further death sentences and executions. They reiterated their call for Iran to immediately halt all executions and establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to abolition. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2022 and is comprised of three members who are not UN employees.