HRANA – The Judiciary Media Center announced that the death sentences of Akbar Daneshvar-Kar and Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sang-Dehi, political prisoners, were carried out at dawn today, Monday, 30 March 2026.
According to Mizan, the Judiciary’s Media Center, the sentences were implemented this morning after being upheld by the Supreme Court. The death sentences against Daneshvar-Kar, Taghavi Sang-Dehi, and four others had previously been issued on the charge of baghi (armed rebellion against the state) through membership in opposition groups. In July 2025, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and referred their case to a parallel branch for retrial.
In November 2025, they were retried in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. Ultimately, on December 7, 2025, the same branch reissued the death sentence for these political prisoners and formally notified their lawyers.
The Judiciary claimed that “Akbar Daneshvar-Kar and Mohammad Taghavi Sang-Dehi, through membership in the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) and direct contact with its coordinators, formed operational cells and participated in planning and carrying out disruptive and sabotage actions against various national institutions. With the aim of undermining internal security and overthrowing the Islamic Republic, they allegedly procured explosive equipment and delivered it to the group’s operational units.”
The statement further alleged that their activities included “collecting intelligence, building and transferring launchers and mortars, participating in protests and disruptive operations, and using safe houses, all under the direction and coordination of the MEK.” It added that, based on case documents, CCTV footage, and the defendants’ statements, the Judiciary confirmed the death sentence for both men.
On February 23, 2024, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi was arrested in Chaldoran County and transferred to Maku Prison. He was later moved to Evin Prison on March 1, 2024. Akbar Daneshvar-Kar had also previously been arrested by security forces and transferred to Evin Prison. In May, 2024, the prisoners were formally charged in Branch 5 of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office, and later that summer were transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.
Taghavi, a former political prisoner from the 1980s, had previously served prison sentences for his activism.
According to HRA’s annual report, at least 2,063 people were executed in Iran during 2025. This marks a 119% increase in executions compared to 2024.
