Seyed Hadi Mansouri, the head judge of Branch 4 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, is one of the central judicial figures in the repression apparatus in Razavi Khorasan Province. In recent years—especially during the 2022 nationwide protests—he has been at the core of grave violations of fair-trial standards, issuing heavy sentences, rushed executions, and severe punitive measures against protesters. His role in sentencing Majidreza Rahnavard, a 23-year-old protester who was publicly hanged only twenty-three days after his arrest without access to a lawyer of his choosing, became emblematic of his conduct. The hasty and public execution triggered widespread outrage and strong international reactions, cementing Mansouri’s position as one of the key decision-makers behind death sentences in Mashhad.
Mansouri, as a judicial official within the judiciary of the regime in Iran, has played a direct role in widespread human rights violations. Serving first as the head of Branch Eight and later Branch Four of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, he has been responsible for severe violations of human rights, including the rights of religious minorities, freedom of expression, liberty, and the right to life through inhumane and unlawful rulings.
Over the past two decades, first as an investigator and later as a judge, Mansouri has presided over a wide range of security, ideological, social, and economic cases. His rulings include executions, amputation sentences, long-term imprisonment, and flogging orders against dozens of citizens. From the public execution of six individuals accused of armed robbery to decades-long prison sentences for protesters and civil activists; and punitive measures targeting members of the Bahá’í faith; his record reflects a consistent pattern of harsh and repressive punishment repeatedly condemned by human rights organizations.
In another case, in January 2021, Mansouri sentenced an economic defendant accused of “tax evasion, money laundering, participation in forging foreign academic degrees, and disseminating false online information” to 74 lashes and 20 years in prison.
1. Identity and Judicial Trajectory of Seyed Hadi Mansouri
Mansouri’s professional trajectory has been shaped entirely within the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. Beginning in the 2000s as an investigative judge in Branch 9, he handled a wide range of security, social, and economic cases. He was later appointed as the head of Branch 8 and subsequently as the head of Branch 4; a position he continues to hold today, presiding over cases directly related to internal security, ideological matters, and severe punishments.
Branch 4, under his leadership, is one of the main branches handling security-related, political, and ideological cases in Razavi Khorasan Province. In recent years, it has issued heavy rulings in cases related to the 2017, 2019, and 2022 protests, as well as cases involving members of the Bahá’í faith, civil activists, and individuals accused of “corruption on earth” and “enmity against God.” His decisive influence over these cases; particularly death sentences, flogging, and long-term imprisonment; forms a central focus of this report.
2. Violations of the Right to Life and Death Sentences
Mansouri’s judicial record is closely tied to grave violations of the right to life and the issuance of death sentences through processes lacking minimum fair-trial guarantees. In recent years, he has presided over some of the most severe security cases in Mashhad, with rulings criticized for their speed, secrecy, and reliance on coerced confessions.
The Hasty Execution of Majidreza Rahnavard
Majidreza Rahnavard, a 23-year-old protester, was executed publicly in December 2022 after one of the fastest judicial processes in recent years. He was executed twenty-three days after his arrest, following a closed-door trial without access to a lawyer of his choosing. The verdict was issued by Mansouri based on confessions believed to have been coerced under duress. The unusually rapid public execution triggered widespread outrage inside Iran and abroad, making Mansouri one of the key figures behind death sentences issued against protesters.
The issuance and execution of Rahnavard’s sentence after a rushed trial; without a fair defense; represent the apex of Mansouri’s repressive judicial record. These executions aim not at justice but at instilling fear to suppress uprisings. The ruling regime in Iran, lacking popular legitimacy, relies on coercion as its main instrument of survival.
Other Execution Cases
Mansouri previously issued public execution sentences for six individuals accused of armed robbery. The repeated use of death sentences in “corruption on earth” and “enmity against God” cases, even where retrial or alternative sentencing was possible, demonstrates a pattern in which execution is treated not as a last resort but as a primary tool of punishment.
Mansouri has been sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom for his role in executions without due process and for violations of freedom of expression and belief. Despite this, he remains in office, continuing to shape the judicial repression of security-related cases.
3. Violations of Fair Trial Standards and Unfair Trials
Denial of Legal Counsel and Closed-Door Hearings
Defendants in many of Mansouri’s security and political cases have been denied access to lawyers of their choosing, with trials held behind closed doors and completed in extremely short timeframes. This pattern intensified during the 2022 protests.
Reliance on Forced Confessions
Many rulings issued by Branch 4 rely on confessions extracted under pressure, threats, or torture. In some cases during the 2022 protests, televised confessions were broadcast prior to the issuance of verdicts and were later used as the basis for sentencing.
Abnormally Accelerated Proceedings
Numerous sensitive cases were processed in only a few brief sessions, with heavy sentences issued within days. This speed, coupled with the involvement of security agencies, shows how security priorities have replaced judicial principles.
4. Treatment of Protesters, Civil Activists, and Religious Minorities
Heavy Sentences Against Protesters and Activists
Mansouri has issued decades of imprisonment, flogging, and social deprivation sentences against protesters and civil activists. Collective rulings exceeding 60 years in prison have targeted individuals accused of acts such as filming protests, writing slogans, or burning public property. The case of Habib Pirmohammadi follows this same pattern.
Repression of Members of the Bahá’í Faith
Mansouri has issued prison sentences in multiple cases involving members of the Bahá’í faith whose activities were purely religious. The cases of Khashayar Tafazoli, Shayan Tafazoli, and Sina Aghdaszadeh exemplify this repression.
Victims’ Testimonies
Documented accounts from civil activists describe humiliating, threatening, and psychologically abusive treatment during interrogations and hearings, showing that Mansouri’s conduct has often been punitive and intimidating rather than judicial.
5. International Sanctions and Structural Impunity
The EU and the UK have sanctioned Mansouri for his role in executions, denial of fair trial rights, and persecution of minorities. Despite these measures, he remains in office; demonstrating the entrenched culture of impunity in Iran’s judiciary, where officials responsible for grave violations retain power and influence.
Within a judiciary controlled by the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih, lacking public legitimacy, the regime uses judicial repression; heavy sentences, flogging, and rushed executions; to prevent dissent. Without independence and adherence to legal principles, figures like Mansouri continue to operate with impunity.
Conclusion
The case of Seyed Hadi Mansouri illustrates the judiciary’s deep alignment with security agencies and the central role of Revolutionary Courts in political and social repression. His record of rushed executions, violations of fair-trial rights, persecution of religious minorities, and heavy sentences against protesters situates him firmly among Iran’s “death judges.” This report underscores the urgent need for international scrutiny of cases processed in Branch 4, especially those still at risk of execution.
