Rasht Revolutionary Court Sentences Poet Peyman Farah-Avar to Death

HRANA News Agency – Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar (Farahavar), a poet from Gilan currently held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, has been sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the sentence was issued by Judge Ahmad Darvish Goftar and is based on charges of “baghi” (armed rebellion against the state) and “moharebeh” (enmity against God).

A source close to Farahavar’s family confirmed the ruling and told HRANA: “The charges are based on his poetry and protest-related activities focused on social justice and civil rights. His trial was held behind closed doors, without access to a chosen lawyer, and the verdict was issued without due process or transparency.”

The court session took place on May 1, 2025, at the mentioned branch. Specific evidence cited in the charges has not been made public.

Farah-Avar was arrested by security forces in September 2024 and taken to The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility. He was later transferred to Lakan Prison following the interrogation phase.

A father of a 10-year-old boy, Peyman (Amin) Farah-Avar has previously been detained for his activism.

Prisoner Executed in Hamedan on Murder Charge

HRANA News Agency – At dawn today, May 5, the execution of a prisoner previously sentenced to death on a murder charge was carried out in Hamedan Prison.

The prisoner has been identified by HRANA as Amir Mohammad Tavakkoli, 32 years old. According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Tavakkoli had been arrested on murder charges and later sentenced to death by a judicial authority.

As of the time this report was published, prison officials and relevant institutions have not publicly announced the execution.

In 2024, according to 812 reports compiled by HRANA, the Iranian regime executed 930 individuals in its prisons—marking the highest number of executions in the past 12 years. Despite the scale of these executions, prison officials and other relevant authorities publicly acknowledged only 6% of them, highlighting the regime’s lack of transparency and accountability.

Two Prisoners Executed in Sepidar Prison of Ahvaz

HRANA News Agency – On Wednesday, April 30, two prisoners previously sentenced to death on drug-related charges were executed in Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz.

HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of the executed individuals as Mohammad-Nabi Zirkari. According to information received by HRANA, Mr. Zirkari and another prisoner—whose identity remains unverified—had been arrested in separate cases on charges related to drug offenses and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, prison authorities and relevant institutions have not officially announced the executions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Six Executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad

HRANA News Agency – At dawn on Wednesday, April 30, six inmates were executed in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.

HRANA has confirmed the identities of two of the executed individuals as Mehdi Azizi, a resident of Mashhad, and Javid Galleh-Bacheh.

The Baloch-focused outlet Hasl Vsh has identified three others as, Abdolghaffar Barahouei (Lajei), approximately 47 years old and father of nine, Parviz Dastkaleh (Nouraldin Lajei), around 40 years old and father of three, and Abdolsamad Gorgij (Rigi), 39 years old, father of five, and a resident of Zahedan.

All six prisoners had previously been sentenced to death by Revolutionary Courts on drug-related charges.

Details about the sixth executed prisoner, including their identity, are still being investigated by HRANA.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially confirmed by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to data compiled by HRANA, 52.69% of all executions in Iran in 2024 were related to drug-related charges. Notably, only 6% of the executions were officially announced, highlighting a significant lack of transparency. For a detailed analysis of these executions and the associated statistics, see HRANA’s full report.

Number of Executions in Ghezel Hesar Prison Rises to Four

HRANA News Agency – Today, April 30, alongside the execution of Mohsen Langarneshin, a political prisoner, in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, three other inmates previously sentenced to death on drug-related and murder charges were also executed.

In addition to the execution of Mohsen Langarneshin—who had been convicted of espionage and collaboration with hostile governments—three other inmates were also put to death. HRANA has confirmed the identity of one of them as Asghar Vatanparast, sentenced to death for drug-related offenses. The two others were executed on murder charges, though their identities have not yet been confirmed.

Further details, including the identities of the two other individuals executed, are still under investigation by HRANA.

Earlier, HRANA had reported the transfer of 11 inmates to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions.

As of the time of this report, the executions of these three prisoners have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

According to data gathered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj witnessed the highest number of executions in 2024. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

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Mohsen Langarneshin Executed

HRANA News Agency – Today, April 30, Mizan, the Judiciary’s media center, announced the execution of Mohsen Langarneshin (Langar-Neshin), a prisoner accused of espionage and collaboration with hostile governments. His mother had released a video the previous day stating that she had her final visit with him at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Mizan claimed that Mr. Langarneshin had been arrested and tried on charges of moharebeh (enmity against God) and corruption on earth due to alleged intelligence cooperation and espionage in favor of the “Zionist regime.” The report claimed that “throughout interrogation, prosecution, and trial, he fully confessed to the crimes and detailed the actions he had taken when presented with the flawless evidence in the case.” The statement added that “after completing the full criminal procedure and the Supreme Court’s confirmation, the sentence was carried out.”

These claims come despite a recent statement to HRANA from a source close to the family, who said: “Mohsen had been promised that if he repeated what the interrogators wanted on camera, he would only face imprisonment. As a result, the confessions were extracted under pressure and coercion.”

Earlier this week, Langarneshin had been transferred to a solitary confinement cell in Ghezel Hesar Prison for the execution of his sentence.

The death sentence had previously been issued by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, head of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, and was upheld by Branch 41 of the Supreme Court. Three requests for a retrial were rejected by the Supreme Court. According to informed sources close to the family, the most recent request, filed in recent days, was dismissed within two days without any legal explanation.

Masoud Langarneshin, Mohsen’s father, also released a video the previous day asserting that his son had been sentenced to death without a fair trial. He emphasized that the case was full of ambiguities and procedural flaws, and he appealed to the public and human rights organizations for support.

His mother, in her video message, expressed grave concern about the impending execution and said she had her final visit with Mohsen on Tuesday, April 29. She too pleaded for help from the public and human rights bodies.

A source close to Langarneshin told HRANA that “during detention, he was pressured to make forced confessions. He was told to say that he had transported a motorcycle to the Pol-e Choobi area and filmed there. He was also accused of having a role in surveillance operations related to General Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, who was assassinated in June 2022. Furthermore, he was taken to the specified location and forced to narrate a prewritten script by interrogators, which was filmed.”

According to the same source, “He was transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on February 15, 2025. At that time, the official prison documents only mentioned a sentence of imprisonment, monetary fine, and restitution—there was no mention of a death sentence.”

Mohsen Langarneshin was arrested by security forces on July 3, 2023. He was held for 20 months in Evin Prison, including 12 months in The Ministry of Intelligence’s detention facility, known as Ward 209 of Evin Prison.

Ghezel Hesar Prison: 11 Prisoners Await Execution in Solitary Confinement

HRANA News Agency – Yesterday, April 28, four prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, who had previously been sentenced to death on charges related to drug offenses and murder, were transferred to solitary confinement for the implementation of their sentences. With the addition of these individuals, the number of prisoners transferred to solitary confinement for execution in this prison over the past four days has risen to 11.

According to information received by HRANA, one of these prisoners had been sentenced to death for murder, while three others were sentenced for drug-related offenses. In total, four of the eleven prisoners, including two Afghan nationals, had been sentenced to death for murder, while the remaining seven had received death sentences for drug-related charges.

Further details, including the identities of these prisoners, are currently being investigated by HRANA.

According to data gathered by the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists, Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj witnessed the highest number of executions in 2024. For a comprehensive examination of the details and statistics surrounding the executions in Iran, refer to HRANA’s report.

Four Prisoners Executed in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan

HRANA News Agency – At dawn today, Monday, April 28, the death sentences of four prisoners previously convicted on drug-related charges were carried out in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan.

The identities of three of the executed prisoners have been confirmed by Haal Vsh as Mohammad Totazahi (Hanif), 26, from the suburbs of Zahedan; Abdolrashid Barahouei (Anshini), 41, a resident of Zahedan; and Ruhollah Palangi, 36, a resident of Rigan.
HRANA has confirmed the identity of the fourth executed individual, who was a woman, as Marjan Sabzi. Ms. Sabzi had previously been arrested on drug-related charges and was later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court on the same charges.

According to this report, Mr. Palangi had been arrested five years ago in Isfahan on drug-related charges and subsequently sentenced to death by the judiciary. Mr. Totazahi and Mr. Barahouei were arrested in October 2019 (Mehr 1398) in Ardestan County on drug-related charges in a joint case and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report’s publication, the executions have not yet been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

Two Prisoners Executed in Tabriz Prison

HRANA News Agency – On April 23, 2025, two prisoners previously sentenced to death on separate drug-related charges were executed in Tabriz Prison.

Iran Human Rights have identified them as Mehran Zolfi, 27, from Tabriz, and Asghar Nouri-Nia, 35, from Jolfa.

According to the report, Zolfi had been detained for four years and Nouri-Nia for five years, both on drug-related charges. They were ultimately sentenced to death in separate cases by the Revolutionary Court.

As of the time of this report, the executions have not been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.

Execution of Three Prisoners in Gorgan, Hamedan, and Arak Prisons

HRANA News Agency – Over the past three days, three prisoners were executed in the prisons of Gorgan, Hamedan, and Arak.

According to HRANA, on Monday, April 21, Ali Morad Kakayi, 58, was hanged in Gonabad Prison on drug-related charges. He had been arrested in 2021 and was subsequently sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

On Tuesday, April 22, a prisoner named Reza Tabarteh Farahani was executed in Arak Prison. According to information obtained by HRANA, Mr. Farahani had been arrested approximately seven years ago on charges of non-consensual same-sex acts (Lavat) and was sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

On Wednesday, April 23, Hamedan Prison carried out the execution of a 25-year-old prisoner named Akbar Sheikhi. He had been arrested in 2020 on drug-related charges and later sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

None of these executions have been officially announced by prison authorities or relevant institutions.

In 2024, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran documented 812 cases related to the right to life, including the sentencing of 214 individuals to death and the execution of 930 individuals. Among these, 4 executions were carried out in public. Of those executed, 818 were male, 26 were female, and 5 were juvenile offenders—individuals under 18 years old at the time of their alleged crimes.