Iran is reportedly intensifying executions of dissidents while engaging in follow-up negotiations with the United States regarding a peace agreement in Switzerland, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on June 21. This move is interpreted as an effort to consolidate power through a climate of fear.
The report states that the Iranian government executed Nasser Bakherzadeh, a 26-year-old dissident imprisoned in a facility in northwestern Urmia, on charges of collaborating with Israeli spies. The Iranian judiciary concluded that Bakherzadeh had cooperated with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. He denied the allegations, and his lawyer emphasized the lack of credible evidence. A fellow inmate, Hamad Chapati, remarked that Bakherzadeh had wanted to "live, work, and make his parents happy." It is reported that he dreamed of returning to his mobile phone shop until the moment of his execution.
The day after Bakherzadeh's execution, a barber named Mehrab Abdollazadeh was also executed for allegedly killing members of the elite Revolutionary Guard's Basij militia. The WSJ reported that Abdollazadeh was subjected to violence, torture, and threats to extract a confession, citing obtained audio recordings.
Citing figures from Iranian state media and human rights organizations, the newspaper reported that Iranian authorities have executed over 45 political prisoners this year, accused of offenses such as propaganda and espionage. It noted that these executions have occurred in the past three months, signaling a message to the Iranian populace that the Islamic Republic maintains a firm grip on power while negotiating peace with the U.S.
However, dissent is growing across Iran, with thousands arrested in recent months on charges of treason or espionage. Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of Iran's judiciary, stated in late April that the government would deal with these anti-government protesters "decisively and without leniency" under the law. Human rights organizations have pointed out that Iranian courts apply charges such as 'hostility to God' and 'corruption on earth' to impose death sentences on political prisoners.
Teenagers are not exempt from these executions. Deutsche Welle recently reported that five individuals aged 18 to 21 have been sentenced to death or executed for political or security-related offenses. Additionally, a 17-year-old named Martin Mohammadi, arrested for allegedly setting fire to an Islamic mosque in southeastern Tehran, has been placed on a death row list.
The nonprofit Iran Human Rights Center reported that weekly hunger strikes are taking place in 56 prisons across Iran. The organization documented that over 2,159 individuals were executed last year, with many sentenced for religious, political, or drug-related crimes, often based solely on confessions obtained through torture. It emphasized that these defendants are denied the right to independent legal assistance.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have reportedly executed three Afghan nationals, according to the independent Afghan media outlet Kabul Now. The outlet cited the Norwegian-based human rights organization Hengaw, stating that executions took place at Adelabad Prison in Shiraz and Zahedan Central Prison in Sistan and Baluchestan province, with the individuals sentenced for drug-related offenses.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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