Cartoon by Reza Aghili

Executions for Security-related Charges in 2024

Iran Human Rights: The security-related charges of moharebeh (enmity against god), efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) and baghy (armed rebellion) have been used to execute countless political and ordinary crime prisoners in the last 46 years. From the bloody decade of the 1980s to present day, Revolutionary Courts around the country have handed down death sentences based on torture-tainted confessions after trials that have been described as kangaroo courts. From protesters to dissidents, armed robbers to spies, human traffickers to terrorists, security-related charges have been used for a wide range of so-called offences to intimidate and create societal fear for decades. In 2024, at least 31 people were executed for security-related charges compared to 39 in 2023, 16 in 2022, 13 in 2021, 15 in 2020 and 9 in 2019.

Facts about moharebeh, baghy and efsad-fil-arz executions in 2024

-At least 31 men were executed on charges of moharebeh, baghy and efsad-fil-arz
-21 of the executions were announced by official sources
-9 Kurdish political prisoners were among those executed
-10 of those executed were convicted for armed robbery
-5 people were executed for alleged espionage for Israel
-2 Baluch men with double jeopardy cases were executed for moharebeh charges after the families of the victims (both policemen) had forgone their right to retribution in the murder cases
-An Afghan national who suffered from mental disorder was amongst those executed
-A dual-national and unidentified man were executed after being kidnapped from neighbouring countries
-2 of the executions were carried out in public spaces

Executed on charges of moharebeh, baghy and efsad-fil-arz

Davoud Abdollahi, Farhad Salimi, Anwar Khezri, Khosro Besharat and Kamran Sheikheh were Kurdish-Sunni political prisoners arrested in January 2010 along with Ghasem Abasteh and Ayoub Karimi. The seven men were subjected to physical and psychological torture to extract false self-incriminating confessions which were used as evidence by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Moghiseh. They were sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh and efsad-fil-arzthrough baghy and membership in a Salafi jihadi group in the spring of 2016. After the ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court, they were resentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.  After spending 14 years on death row, Ghasem Abasteh and Ayoub Karimi were executed in 2023. Davoud Abdollahi was executed in Ghezelhesar Prison on 2 January 2024, Farhad Salimi was executed on 23 January 2024; Anwar Khezri was executed on 1 May 2024 Khosro Besharat was executed on 15 May 2024; and Kamran Sheikheh was executed on 25 July 2024.

Kurdish political prisoners Mohsen Mazloum, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar and Hajir Faramarzi were arrested in Urmia, West Azerbaijan province, on 22 June 2022 and held incommunicado without access to their lawyers. Their torture-tainted forced confessions were aired by state media prior to the commencement of any legal proceedings. They were sentenced to death for charges of moharebeh and efsad-fil-arz through espionage for Israel by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Their death sentences were upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court within 24 hours. The four political prisoners’ first family visit was also their last. They were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison, Alborz province, on 29 January 2024. A year after their executions, their bodies still have not been returned to the families, nor have the burial locations been disclosed.