In a stark demonstration of its intensifying crackdown on dissent, Iran’s judiciary has sentenced six political prisoners to death, accusing them of ties to the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

The verdicts, issued by Judge Iman Afshari of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court Branch 26, mark a chilling escalation in the regime’s efforts to silence opposition voices.The condemned—Abolhassan Montazer, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani-Amrian, Babak Alipour, Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar, and Mohammad Taghavi—were charged with “membership in the PMOI/MEK,” “armed rebellion,” and “collusion against national security.” Alongside these harsh sentences, Mojtaba and Ali Taghavi were handed imprisonment and exile for their familial connections to one of the accused.

These sentences follow months of alleged torture and brutal interrogations in Evin Prison, notorious for its treatment of political detainees. The six men, ranging in age from 32 to 65, share a history of opposition to the Iranian regime.

• Abolhassan Montazer (65), an architect and former political prisoner, has endured repeated detentions since the 1980s despite serious health issues.
• Pouya Ghobadi (32), an electrical engineer, was arrested for the third time in March 2024.
• Vahid Bani-Amrian (32), a management graduate, has faced multiple imprisonments since 2017, reflecting the regime’s relentless pursuit of activists.
• Babak Alipour (33), a law graduate, was previously detained in 2018 and rearrested in January 2024.
• Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar (57), a civil engineer, and Mohammad Taghavi (58), a veteran political prisoner, have both faced years of detention and harassment. Taghavi, who has been on hunger strike for a month, has protested against torture and abuse in solitary confinement.

The wave of death sentences is part of a broader pattern under President Massoud Pezeshkian’s administration, which has presided over more than 250 executions since July 2024.

In September alone, two PMOI supporters, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, received death sentences, while the judiciary upheld the execution order for another PMOI member, Mohammad Javad Vafa’i Thani.Beyond executions, the regime’s repression extends to long-term political prisoners like Maryam Akbari Monfared, who, after 15 years of incarceration, continues to face fabricated charges.The international community faces mounting pressure to address these systematic abuses. Critics argue that without decisive action, Iran’s regime will only escalate its use of the death penalty to stifle dissent and consolidate power.

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu