In a disturbing development, the Iranian judiciary has once again sentenced Mohammad Javad Vafaei Thani, a political prisoner and supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), to death. The sentence was handed down for the third time on September 18, 2024, in Mashhad Prison, where Vafaei Thani has been held since his arrest in March 2020.
Vafaei Thani, a 29-year-old boxing champion and coach, was initially arrested in Mashhad and subjected to brutal physical and psychological torture. His charges stem from accusations of “corruption on earth” and alleged involvement in “arson and destruction of specific places, including the building of the government’s disciplinary office.” In December 2021, the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad sentenced him to death, a verdict that was referred to the Supreme Court for review in December 2022. Despite a review process, the Supreme Court once again confirmed his death sentence in August 2023, further entrenching the regime’s disregard for due process and international human rights standards.
The latest ruling, issued on September 18, 2024, by two judges—Saadi Makan and Yazdan Khahar—once again violates the legal protocols even established within the framework of Iran’s own judiciary. This has raised serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of Vafaei Thani’s trial and the judiciary’s ongoing use of the death penalty as a tool to suppress political dissent.
Vafaei Thani is not the only political prisoner facing such a fate. Earlier this week, two other political prisoners, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, also supporters of the PMOI, were sentenced to death by the 26th branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. This intensifying wave of death sentences reflects an alarming pattern of the Iranian regime’s crackdown on political dissent and opposition.
Human rights organizations, including the United Nations, have been urged to intervene. Calls have been made for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, and the International Fact-Finding Committee to take immediate action. Advocacy groups stress the urgent need for global intervention to save the lives of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Thani, Behrouz Ehsani, Mehdi Hassani, and other political prisoners facing execution.
Iran’s systematic use of torture, arbitrary arrests, and execution of political prisoners continues to be a glaring violation of international human rights laws. These recent death sentences serve as stark reminders of the perilous conditions faced by dissidents in Iran, where the judiciary, controlled by the regime, has been used as a weapon to silence opposition voices. The international community is being called upon to hold Iranian authorities accountable and prevent further political executions.
