Why Have These Numerous Warnings Been Ignored?
- Despite warnings regarding the sudden and hasty transfer of two political prisoners, Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi, from Karaj Central Prison to an undisclosed location on the afternoon of Sunday, April 19, 2026 (30 Farvardin)—both of whom had been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic’s judiciary.
- Despite the statement issued by the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on September 27, 2025 (5 Mehr 1404), calling for their cases to be reviewed by the UN Fact-Finding Mission.
- Despite the fact that these two prisoners were accused of espionage during the “12-day war” between Israel and Iran—a charge carrying the death penalty—even though they had been arrested and their detention publicly announced one month before the start of said war.
- Despite the NCRI’s urgent call for immediate action to save these two political prisoners and prevent their execution, addressed to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Fact-Finding Mission, and other human rights defenders on the very day of their transfer.
- Despite warnings from international figures, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the imminent danger:
“ Nima Shahi, 38 year old and Hamed Validi 45 year old engineer are in imminent danger! They are death row political prisoners in Iran. They are proud members of the MEK who would like to overthrow the evil regime. Sunday afternoon, April 19, 2026 they were removed out of Karaj.”
In the face of international inaction and the dismissal of all these warnings, two political prisoners, Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi, were sent to the gallows by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic this morning, Monday, April 20, 2026 (31 Farvardin 1405), and lost their lives.
Nima (Mohammad Masoum) Shahi and Hamed Validi: Victims of Unheard Warnings
The Mizan News Agency (of the Judiciary) announced today at 6:35 AM ( https://t.me/mizanplus/234158):
“Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi, elements of an espionage network linked to Mossad, were executed following judicial proceedings and the confirmation of their sentences by the Supreme Court… Following the conclusion of the case in court and hearing the defense of the defendants and their lawyers, the court—based on existing documents, evidence, and reports from law enforcement agents—sentenced Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi to death. After legal formalities and the rejection of their appeals, the sentences were carried out this morning.”
While these two political prisoners were executed at dawn today, the location of the execution remains unannounced. These executions took place after their sudden transfer to an unknown location on April 19. The sentences were carried out without prior notice to their families or lawyers, a grave violation of the defendants’ basic rights.
Lives That Could Have Been Saved
The deaths of Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi represent not only a judicial crime but a preventable tragedy. While all evidence pointed to the nullity of the charges and urgent calls for their rescue had been on the desks of international authorities for days, the deadly silence of these organizations paved the way for the regime’s noose.
Hamed (45, a civil engineer and father of one daughter) and Nima (38, a technical worker) fell victim to an accusation that defied even the simplest chronological logic:
- Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi were arrested in Tehran on May 13, 2025 and subjected to interrogation and torture.
- In late September 2025), these two individuals were sentenced to death by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj on charges including “Moharebeh” (waging war against God), “membership in a criminal group,” and “propaganda against the state.” In official reports, their affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) was cited as one of the primary counts of the indictment.
- On September 27, 2025, the Chief Justice of Alborz Province absurdly accused them of espionage related to the “12-day war,” despite them being in custody a full month before that war even began. Their names and details had already been sent to the UN and human rights organizations, and their arrest had been broadcast on Simay-e Azadi as early as September 7, 2025 (16 Shahrivar 1404).
The judiciary, in a clumsy attempt at fabrication, attributed espionage charges for a war to individuals who were already in the regime’s own captivity before the conflict started—proving the physical and logical impossibility of the charge. They were the 14th and 15th political prisoners to be executed since March 19 this year.
Human Rights Violations Committed by the Islamic Republic:
- Violation of the Right to Life (Article 3, UDHR): Executing individuals under ambiguous conditions without fair trial principles.
- Violation of the Prohibition of Torture (Article 5, UDHR): Reports indicate the use of torture to extract forced confessions.
- Violation of the Right to a Fair Trial (Article 10, UDHR): Failure to notify families/lawyers and the hasty execution of the sentence.
- Violation of Human Dignity (Article 1, UDHR): Secretive executions and non-transparent treatment of defendants.
Why Execution?
As clearly demonstrated in the December 2025/January 2026 uprising, the Iranian people demand the overthrow of this regime and the establishment of freedom and democracy. These executions reflect the authorities’ fear of a resurgence of nationwide protests, using extreme punishment as a tool for control and deterrence.
Renewed Threat by the Head of the Judiciary: A Formal Declaration of War Against the Law
On April 19, just one day before the executions, Mohseni-Eje’i once again voiced his threats to continue the slaughter and crimes against humanity. However, the international community and human rights bodies ignored these threats and took no action to save these two lives.
As reported by Entekhab on April 19, (citing Mizan), Eje’i stated:
“In dealing with cases of ‘infantry elements’ aligned with the aggressive enemy, the ‘normal routine’ should not prevail. In all stages—prosecutor’s office, courts, and the Supreme Court—these cases must be handled in an ‘extraordinary and special’ manner… For instance, under normal circumstances, if a case faces a deficiency in the investigation, the judicial authority would place the file at the disposal of the law now that the ‘Adliyeh’ (Judiciary) has taken a war footing, if a judicial official hands a file to an agent in the morning for investigation, they must demand its return by the afternoon. In some cases, the interrogator must leave their office, go to the prison, and conduct the arraignment right there to speed up the indictment… In current conditions, no defendant can claim ignorance… The scene is perfectly clear… those authorized must not permit any delay or hesitation in implementing final sentences, whether they involve ‘deprivation of life’ or ‘confiscation of property’.”
Ejei’s statements violate the following international and domestic laws:
- A) Violation of International Law (ICCPR):
- Right to Adequate Time and Facilities for Defense (Art. 14, Sec. 3b): Ordering a same-day return of files denies the defendant and lawyer the opportunity to prepare a defense.
- Violation of the Presumption of Innocence (Art. 14, Sec. 2): By stating “no one can claim ignorance,” Ejei presumes guilt before trial.
- Violation of the Right to an Independent and Impartial Tribunal (Art. 14, Sec. 1): A judiciary that adopts a “war footing” against defendants is no longer an impartial arbiter but a party to the conflict.
- B) Violation of Iranian Domestic Law:
- Article 37 of the Constitution: The Principle of Innocence.
- Article 5 of the Criminal Procedure Code: Emphasizes refraining from any haste that compromises the defendant’s rights.
- Article 351 of the Criminal Procedure Code: Regarding the necessity of legal counsel and sufficient time for defense.
Question to the International Community
The question for the global community is: Why the silence? How many more lives and how much more blood must be spilled before the international community breaks its deafening inaction?
Inaction in the face of these crimes is a signature for their continuation. As long as the international cost of execution for the Islamic Republic does not exceed the benefit of the terror it creates, this killing machine will not stop. The international will to act is being measured at this very moment.
