The Iranian regime’s blatant disregard for human rights and its deliberate use of executions to silence political dissent demand urgent international attention. The case of Mehdi Hassani (not to be confused with MSNBC’s Mehdi Hassan), a political prisoner facing imminent execution in Qezel-Hesar Prison, serves as a glaring example of Iran’s oppressive judicial practices and the latest illustration of the Islamic Republic’s systemic use of violence as a tool to stamp out dissent.
Despite the Supreme Court of Iran’s previous decision to accept Hassani’s retrial request, recent reports indicate that this request has now been rejected, putting his life in immediate danger. This case is not an isolated incident but, rather, a continuation of Tehran’s long-standing pattern of executing political prisoners under fabricated charges. It is imperative that the international community intervenes immediately to halt this injustice and hold Iran accountable for its egregious human rights violations.
Mehdi Hassani’s plight highlights the Iranian government’s relentless crackdown on political dissidents. His daughter’s emotional plea underscores the depth of the injustice her father faces: “It means I cried out once again, held onto hope once again, and yet, our rights were once again the easiest to trample.” The tragic reality is that Mehdi Hassani’s circumstance follows a consistent pattern in which political prisoners are subjected to arbitrary arrests, denied fair trials, and sentenced to death in blatant disregard for international human rights protocols.
Public domain” src=”https://images.americanthinker.com/7q/7qzkovzkxy16q2k2a6rr_640.jpg” />
Image: Mehdi Hassani (left) and Behrouz Ehsani (right). Public domain.
Despite global condemnation, Iran continues to weaponize the death penalty as a tool of political oppression. The United Nations and human rights organizations must not remain silent in the face of such state-sponsored brutality. Immediate action is necessary to prevent Mehdi Hassani’s execution and to hold the Iranian government accountable for its systematic abuse of power.
The Iranian regime’s use of capital punishment to suppress anti-regime sentiment is well-documented. In recent months, authorities have escalated their efforts to stifle opposition voices, transferring political prisoners between high-security facilities and denying them fair legal recourse. The transfer of Mehdi Hassani and fellow political prisoner Behrouz Ehsani from Evin Prison to Qezel-Hesar Prison without explanation further underscores the regime’s intent to execute these prisoners in secrecy.
Recent developments in Mehdi Hassani’s case highlight the urgency of the situation. On January 8, 2025, an urgent alert revealed that Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani faced imminent execution following torture and an unfair trial. Just days later, on January 11, sixty-eight political prisoners across Iran denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold their death sentences, calling it “state-sanctioned murder.” On January 26, both men were forcibly transferred to Qezel-Hesar Prison without explanation. By January 27, over 260 renowned experts had joined Iran HRM and JVMI in urging the UN to take immediate action. Despite the Supreme Court’s prior acceptance of their retrial, they remained in a high-security ward designated for death row prisoners as of January 31. While global protests on February 4 temporarily halted their executions, Iranian authorities continue to threaten their lives, underscoring the persistent danger they face.
Each of these events underscores Iran’s deliberate efforts to carry out politically motivated executions while circumventing international scrutiny. The UN and other global institutions must recognize that their previous interventions, though significant, have been insufficient to deter Iran’s leaders from pursuing their lethal agenda.
Time is running out for Mehdi Hassani, and the international community cannot afford to wait. Alice Jill Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Mai Sato, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations Human Rights office must intervene immediately. Their influence can help pressure Iranian authorities to halt this execution, demand transparency, and ensure that Hassani receives a fair trial. The international community must impose consequences on Iran for its continued violations of international human rights law.
Furthermore, the United States should take immediate and decisive measures to penalize Iranian officials responsible for these abuses. Targeted sanctions against judiciary members complicit in political executions, increased diplomatic isolation, and global condemnation at the United Nations General Assembly are necessary steps to curb Iran’s human rights violations.
The United States, European Union, and other democratic nations must also leverage their influence to demand accountability. Diplomatic engagements with Iran should include explicit conditions addressing human rights violations, with severe repercussions for noncompliance. Failure to act will only embolden the regime to continue its campaign of political persecution.
Mehdi Hassani’s case is a microcosm of Iran’s broader culture of impunity. Over the years, numerous political prisoners have faced execution on trumped-up charges, often after enduring severe torture. The silence of the international community has allowed Iran to perpetuate these atrocities without consequence.
By allowing such violations to go unpunished, the global order risks normalizing state-sponsored executions as a tool of repression. Iran’s continued use of the death penalty against political prisoners represents a direct challenge to international law and human rights principles.
If the world fails to act now, the Iranian regime will continue to employ execution as a method of control, sending a dangerous message that dissent will be met with death. The time for empty statements is over – concrete action must be taken to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
The imminent execution of Mehdi Hassani is not just a tragedy for his family; it is an indictment of Iran’s systematic oppression of political dissent. The global community must act decisively to prevent his execution and hold Iran accountable for its egregious human rights violations.
Ivan Sascha Sheehan is a professor of Public and International affairs and the associate dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. Opinions expressed are his own. Follow him on X @ProfSheehan.
This article was originally published at www.americanthinker.com
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