According to information received by Avatoday, Shahin Wasaf, a 29-year-old detainee of the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Women, Life, Freedom) uprising in Urmia, has been sentenced by Branch 1 of the city’s Revolutionary Court to 10 years in prison.
Wasaf had previously been sentenced to death by Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia, presided over by Judge Reza Najafzadeh—one of the most notorious judges of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary—on charges of “espionage for Israel.” The death sentence, officially announced to him on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, was later overturned by a branch of Iran’s Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal and returned the case for retrial.
Reports indicate that Wasaf was subjected to severe torture during his detention and coerced into making forced confessions. During court proceedings, he was also denied access to a lawyer of his choice, a violation of fair trial standards.
In Iran, the death penalty continues to be used extensively as a legal punishment and has risen sharply in recent years. According to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 901 people were executed in 2024, the highest figure since 2015. Independent data from the NGO Iran Human Rights also shows that at least 841 executions took place between January and August 2025 alone, with the pace of executions accelerating. In the first four months of 2025, 343 executions were recorded, representing a 75 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.
These figures underscore the Islamic Republic’s widespread use of capital punishment, often targeting minorities, political activists, and prisoners of conscience
