SIX MEN AT RISK OF EXECUTION AFTER GROSSLY UNFAIR TRIAL [Iran 6.25]

Dear Mr. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei,

Six Iranian men Abolhassan Montazer, 65, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, 58, Babak Alipour, 33, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, 58, Pouya Ghobadi, 31, and Vahid Bani Amerian, 32, are at risk of execution after Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran convicted them of “armed rebellion against the state” (baghi) following a grossly unfair trial in October 2024 on allegations of being affiliated with a banned opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). The men have repeatedly denied all accusations of taking arms against the state. According to informed sources, agents subjected the men to torture and other ill-treatment at the time of arrest and/or during interrogations including through repeated beatings, floggings, restricting access to toilet facilities, prolonged solitary confinement and death threats at gunpoint. They are all held in Evin prison, and an appeal to the Supreme Court remains pending.

According to information obtained by Amnesty International, during trial, several of the men and their lawyers told the court that forced “confessions” were extracted under torture and other ill-treatment and could not be relied upon as evidence.

I urge you to immediately halt any plans to execute Abolhassan Montazer, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, Pouya Ghobadi, and Vahid Bani Amerian, quash their convictions and death sentences, and release them as their detention is arbitrary due to severely grave violations of their fair trial rights. I further urge you to provide them with access to their families and lawyers, protect them from further torture and other ill-treatment, and investigate torture allegations.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]