Amnesty International has launched an urgent action campaign to halt the execution of six Iranian men sentenced to death following what the rights organization described as a grossly unfair trial.
The men, including Abolhassan Montazer, 65, and Akbar Daneshvarkar, 58, were convicted in October 2024 by a court in Tehran on charges of "armed rebellion against the state," or baghi.
Amnesty said the trial was “marred by allegations of torture and other ill-treatment to extract forced confessions”, with defendants denied the right to legal representation from the time of their arrest.
“These six men were convicted and sentenced to death following a sham trial that flagrantly violated their fair trial rights,” Amnesty said.
“This case is a chilling reminder of how Revolutionary Courts operate under the influence of security and intelligence bodies, imposing death sentences after grossly unfair trials,” Amnesty added.
The organization urged Iranian authorities to quash the death sentences and convictions, grant the men a fair retrial and protect them from further torture.
Amnesty has also called on the international community to push for a moratorium on executions in Iran, where it has seen a sharp rise, with at least 853 executions carried out in 2023.
According to the US-based rights group HRANA, at least 54 political prisoners, including Azizi, are currently facing execution across various prisons in Iran. Iran has faced increasing international criticism for its widespread use of the death penalty, especially against political prisoners and activists.
The United Nations human rights office reported in January that Iran in 2024 executed 901 people, including 31 women, marking a sharp rise in capital punishment cases.
