Alarming Concerns Over Iran’s Crackdown on University Protesters

Ehsan Faridi, a student at the University of Tabriz, has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in Tabriz on the charge of moharebeh (“enmity against God”). The sentence, based solely on a report by the Ministry of Intelligence and without the presentation of public evidence or documented proof in court, has been upheld by the appeals court and is now pending review by the Supreme Court of Iran.

Faridi, a mechanical engineering student specializing in manufacturing and production, was first arrested in March 2024 and released on bail. He was rearrested in June 2024 following a summons to the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office. He is currently being held in the quarantine ward of Tabriz Central Prison.

According to reports, the Intelligence Department in Tabriz has pressured Faridi’s family to remain silent and avoid publicizing the sentence. Out of fear that Ehsan might suffer a severe psychological reaction, his family has asked the attorney not to inform him of the death sentence, but instead to say that a final ruling is pending from the Supreme Court.

Previously, Faridi had been sentenced to six months in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” His death sentence has triggered widespread concern, both domestically and internationally. He is currently the youngest political prisoner on death row in Iran.

This case once again highlights the Islamic Republic’s repressive tactics against protesters, particularly students. The use of capital punishment—abolished in most of the world—for peaceful dissent is a grave violation of human rights.