The Iranian Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence for Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a Kurdish citizen detained during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests. This confirmation places the political prisoner at imminent risk of execution.
According to a report by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) on Saturday, December 20, 2025, Abdollahzadeh was sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Urmia on charges of "Corruption on Earth" through "participation in premeditated murder" of a Basij member. This verdict was subsequently affirmed by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court.
Human rights advocates expressed grave concern following the formal notification of the verdict. Sources familiar with the case revealed that on Thursday, December 18, the judge of the Execution of Sentences at the Urmia Prosecutor's Office pressured Abdollahzadeh to sign a plea for clemency.
This procedural step often precedes executions in political cases; a similar pattern was observed two weeks ago with student activist Aghil Keshavarz, who was executed at Urmia Central Prison on Friday night.
Background and Allegations of Torture Born in 1997, Abdollahzadeh was arrested on October 22, 2022, at his barbershop during the nationwide uprising. He was held for 38 days at an Intelligence Organization of the IRGC detention center, where he was reportedly subjected to "physical and psychological torture."
The KHRN emphasizes that security forces possess video footage of the murder scene in which Abdollahzadeh is not present. Furthermore, the detainee has consistently denied any involvement. Reports indicate his initial "confession"—admitting to kicking the officer—was coerced through the detention of his girlfriend and threats against his family members.
A Flawed Judicial Process During his interrogation and subsequent court sessions, Abdollahzadeh requested a forensic review of his mobile phone's location data to prove his absence from the crime scene, a request that was ignored.
For the first 38 days of his detention, his family remained uninformed of his whereabouts, and he was denied access to legal counsel. His trial consisted of three brief sessions—two via video conference and one in person—lasting only minutes. He was sentenced to death on September 20, 2024, without being granted the right to a proper defense.
Abdollahzadeh is one of approximately 70 political prisoners in Iran currently facing confirmed or pending death sentences. The surge in capital punishment in the Islamic Republic continues to draw sharp condemnation from United Nations rapporteurs and international human rights organizations.
