Center for Human Rights in Iran

Erfan Arabi, a 20-year-old computer engineering student at Islamic Azad University of Birjand in Iran's South Khorasan province, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Revolutionary Court in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests. He was verbally informed of the sentence on May 12. Arabi was arrested in February 2026 after being summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence, which confiscated his electronic devices. He was released on bail in April. He was reportedly charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime." Under Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, 5 years of the imprisonment sentence is enforceable. 🔸 Thousands were arrested during the nationwide protests earlier this year, with many subjected to enforced disappearance and held without charge. Defendants have been denied access to independent lawyers, deprived of due process, subjected to torture and other ill-treatment to extract forced confessions, and handed heavy sentences, including the death penalty. The wave of arbitrary arrests has continued since the war began.

Iranian authorities executed protester Mohammad Abbasi at dawn on May 13 in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. He is the 14th person executed in connection with the January 2026 protests. Prison officials reportedly summoned Abbasi’s family for a visit, but when they arrived at the prison, they were denied the opportunity to see him. The family was later informed by phone that the execution had been carried out. Abbasi was sentenced to death on charges of “enmity against God” in connection with the alleged killing of a police officer by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The sentences were issued by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, known as the “judge of death” and the “hanging judge” for his long record of sentencing protesters to death. In the same case, the Supreme Court also upheld the 25-year prison sentence of Abbasi’s daughter, Fatemeh Abbasi, who is currently imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin Prison. Attorney Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani had previously said that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court barred him and another independent lawyer from representing the defendants or reviewing their case files, despite serious concerns over the judicial process and the evidence presented against them, further undermining their right to a fair trial. 🔸 At least 32 people, including 14 protesters arrested during the January protests, have been executed on politically motivated charges since the outbreak of the war. 🔸 Death sentences in Iran are routinely handed down following grossly unfair trials, with defendants frequently denied access to independent legal counsel and convicted on the basis of forced “confessions” extracted under torture and coercion. 🔸 Under the cover of war, Iranian authorities are accelerating politically motivated executions at an unprecedented pace, emboldened by near-total impunity and a lack of sustained international outcry. 🔸 World leaders must place the ongoing human rights crisis in Iran, including the alarming wave of executions, at the center of all diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Republic’s authorities.

Authorities in Iran have executed at least six political prisoners and protesters over the past two days. These individuals were sentenced to death following grossly unfair trials that failed to meet even the most basic due process standards, and were convicted on allegations based on forced “confessions” obtained under torture and coercion. On May 2, Yaghoub Karimpour, a Turkish citizen and follower of the Yarsan faith, and Naser Bakrzadeh, a Kurdish political prisoner, were executed. On May 3, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a Kurdish protester arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, was executed. Also on May 3, three protesters arrested during the recent January protests—Mehdi Rasouli, 25; Mohammadreza Miri, 21; and Ebrahim Dowlatabadi-Nejad—were executed. Since the start of the war, authorities have executed 28 individuals, including 14 protesters, most of whom were arrested during the recent protests. 🔸The absence of sustained international outcry has emboldened the Islamic Republic to rapidly execute political prisoners with impunity under the cover of war. World leaders must urgently press the authorities to halt all executions and immediately release all political prisoners.

I echo UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk's statement on Iran and join him in calling on the Iranian authorities to halt executions, release those arbitrarily detained, and restore internet access immediately. ohchr.org/en/press-relea… The use of national security charges to silence dissent, coerced confessions as the basis for executions, and the targeting of ethnic and religious minorities are patterns I have documented throughout my mandate — and they are continuing despite the ceasefire, as fragile as it is. At least 21 executions have been announced by the State since the conflict began, but the ongoing shutdown gives me serious concern that further executions may be taking place without our knowledge. I am concerned for Narges Mohammadi, whose health is reportedly deteriorating in detention, and for Nasrin Sotoudeh, whose whereabouts remain unknown. Authorities have also reportedly seized the assets of hundreds of citizens — including 400 Iranians living abroad — labelling them 'traitors to the homeland’.The 61-day internet shutdown, the longest ever recorded, has caused severe economic losses, disrupted education and healthcare, and left people unable to access safety information during active hostilities — allowing the State to monopolise the narrative and making it impossible to grasp the full human rights situation inside the country.

PEN America announced on April 22 that Iranian writers Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi will receive the 2026 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, as repression of free expression in Iran intensifies. Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, a writer and human rights defender, has faced over a decade of harassment, detention, and repeated imprisonment for her activism. Following her detention during the 2022 protests, she was sentenced to seven years in prison, later reduced to five on appeal. She remains imprisoned in Evin Prison. Ali Asadollahi, a writer and translator, was arrested at his home during the recent protests in January 2026. He was denied legal counsel and subjected to prolonged interrogations, physical abuse, and pressure to confess before being released on bail in mid-March amid international pressure. An award-winning poet and member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, Asadollahi has published six collections and was previously detained during the 2022 protests. PEN America said the award recognizes writers targeted for their work and draws attention to both the long-standing persecution of Iranian writers and escalating risks amid ongoing conflict.

Two teenagers from Iran's Baluch ethnic minority community were killed after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces opened fire on them in a border area of southeastern Iran, according to local reports. The incident occurred around 7:00 a.m. on April 13, 2026, near the village of Bunser in the Kalgan border region of Golshan County, where the two youths had taken their flock of sheep out to graze. The victims have been identified as Ali Siahani, approximately 18, and Imran Siahani, approximately 17, both residents of Bunser village. According to sources cited by Halvash, IRGC forces opened fire on the teenagers without prior warning. Imran Siahani was struck by two bullets to the chest and died at the scene. Ali Siahani was wounded and left at the scene for several hours. Military forces reportedly transferred Imran’s body to a border outpost, while Ali remained at the scene until around noon, when relatives found him still alive and attempted to take him to a hospital. He died en route due to the severity of his injuries. Authorities have not provided any explanation for the shooting. Iran’s Baluch ethnic minority community has long faced systemic discrimination, economic deprivation, and heavy security crackdowns from the government. Many Baluch citizens also belong to the Sunni religious minority and are therefore subjected to both ethnic and religious persecution in Iran. Iranian security forces routinely use unlawful force against the Baluch citizens, in violation of international human rights laws prohibiting extrajudicial killings and excessive use of force.

Authorities in Iran have transferred 73-year-old political prisoner Mir-Youssef Younesi from Evin Prison to an undisclosed location, raising serious concerns about his safety and health. His son, Reza Younesi, said prison officials summoned his father to the prison office on Monday morning, but he was not returned to his ward. Fellow inmates were later informed that he had been transferred. His family says authorities have not disclosed his whereabouts. Younesi was sentenced in January 2024 by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to five years' imprisonment after a trial marred by due process violations. He was arrested on December 28, 2022, and spent 107 days in solitary confinement before being moved to the general ward of Evin Prison. Younesi is also the father of Ali Younesi, an award-winning 25-year-old student who has been imprisoned in Evin Prison since April 2020 for political charges, such as “propaganda against the regime.” Ali Younesi won silver and gold medals in Iran’s National Astronomy Olympiad in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and later secured first place at the 12th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in China.

A coalition of 30 international legal organizations has issued a joint letter calling for the immediate & unconditional release of prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has been held incommunicado since her unlawful arrest on April 1. iranhumanrights.org/2026/04/30-leg…

Four individuals detained during the January 2026 protests in Iran have been sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, along with additional prison terms and asset confiscation. Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl, Bita Hemmati, Behrouz Zamaninejad, and Kourosh Zamaninejad were all sentenced to death on charges of “operational action for the hostile government of the United States and hostile groups," along with five-year prison terms for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and had all their assets confiscated, according to the ruling obtained by HRANA. A fifth defendant, Amir Hemmati, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” Majidi-Asl and Hemmati are a married couple, Amir Hemmati is their relative, and the Zamaninejads are brothers. They were arrested in the same residential building. 👉 Dozens of individuals arrested during the January 2026 protests have been sentenced to death following grossly unfair, fast-tracked trials conducted without due process, access to independent counsel, and reliance on torture-tainted forced "confessions" as evidence. 👉 Authorities routinely use broadly defined, vague "national security" charges against political prisoners and protesters to secure convictions carrying severe penalties, including the death penalty. Since the start of the war, at least 13 political prisoners and protesters have been executed, most of them without prior notification to their families or lawyers.

Authorities in Iran have arrested 10 citizens in Qom Province over the alleged use of Starlink satellite internet, according to state-affiliated media reports. The head of Iran’s Cyber Police (FATA) in Qom announced the arrests, stating that several Starlink devices were seized during the operation. He described the equipment as “anti-security goods” and warned that authorities would take strict action against those found possessing or using such devices. No information has been released regarding the identities of those detained or the charges brought against them. The arrests come amid a broader crackdown on internet circumvention tools during a state-imposed nationwide shutdown in place since February 28, which has cut off millions from critical information, severed communication with loved ones, and undermined their livelihoods. Starlink devices are banned in Iran, and their use carries severe penalties, including prison sentences and even the death penalty. Despite this, they have become one of the few remaining ways for Iranians to access the global internet during the blackout.

More than a week after the execution of six political prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Iranian authorities have yet to return their bodies to their families. The men—Akbar Daneshvar Kar, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sang-Dehi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi Bistouni, Seyed Abolhassan Montazer, and Vahid Bani-Amerian—were executed between March 30 and April 4. Despite the passage of time, officials have not disclosed the location of their remains or provided information about their burial. The Islamic Republic of Iran routinely withholds the bodies of political prisoners and dissidents, denying their families the right to mourn and bury their loved ones with dignity. The continued refusal to return the remains of these six men, combined with a lack of official information about their fate and burial, intensifies families’ suffering and constitutes a clear violation of their fundamental rights.

Iran has now entered its 40th day under a near-total, government-imposed internet shutdown. Internet access is a fundamental right. In moments of fear and uncertainty, people rely on it for accurate information and to receive updates about their loved ones’ conditions, especially those behind bars. In Iran, many also depend on online access to sustain their livelihoods. 👉 All parties involved in negotiations must urgently pressure Iranian authorities to restore full internet connectivity. @realDonaldTrump @JDVance @SecRubio @SteveWitkoff @CMShehbaz @PakPMO @GovtofPakistan @drpezeshkian @mb_ghalibaf @araghchi

Unlawful attacks on critical civilian infrastructure will have a catastrophic impact on the lives of millions of civilians in Iran and across the region. The international community must act urgently to prevent a large-scale humanitarian disaster. iranhumanrights.org/2026/04/attack…

They were among seven individuals arrested after the January 2026 Tehran protests and sentenced to death for “enmity against God” on February 9 by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, widely known as the “judge of death” for his long record of sentencing political prisoners to death. Another defendant, Amirhossein Hatami, was executed on April 2. The four remaining co-defendants—Ali Fahim, Abolfazl Salehi Siavashani, Shahab Zohdi, and Yaser Rajaifar—are now at imminent risk. They were recently placed in solitary confinement at Ghezel Hesar Prison, a move that typically precedes executions. #محمدامین_بیگلری #شاهین_واحدپرست #امیرحسین_حاتمی #علی_فهیم #ابوالفضل_صالحی_سیاوشانی #شهاب_ذهدی #یاسر_رجائی‌فر

Two more Iranian youths were executed without due process, bringing the total number of political prisoners hanged since the start of the war to at least 12. Mohammadamin Biglari, 19, and Shahin Vahedparast, 30, were hanged at dawn on April 5 following a fast-tracked sham trial that relied on torture-tainted forced “confessions” and denied them independent legal counsel. 🔸The absence of sustained international outcry has emboldened the Islamic Republic to rapidly execute political prisoners with impunity under the cover of war. 🔸Iranian authorities hanged at least nine political prisoners in just one week. Many more, sentenced to death after grossly unfair trials without any semblance of due process, are at grave risk. 🔸World leaders must urgently press the authorities to halt all executions and immediately release all political prisoners.

#Iran: @volker_turk says as if pain & suffering of war are not enough, Iranians are being arbitrarily rounded up, jailed, subjected to unfair trials & even executed by own Govt. This is outrageous. All executions must be halted immediately. The human rights of the Iranian people need to be the top priority. ohchr.org/en/press-relea…

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer, was arrested by security agents at her home on the evening of April 1 and taken to an undisclosed location, according to her daughter, Mehraveh Khandan. Khandan said authorities also confiscated electronic devices belonging to Sotoudeh and her husband, including laptops and mobile phones. Khandan said her mother briefly called to say she was being held by the Ministry of Intelligence, but the line was cut within seconds, and her whereabouts remain unknown. Sotoudeh has previously been imprisoned several times in connection with her human rights work. She has represented numerous political prisoners, including activists and women prosecuted for removing mandatory headscarves, and has received several international awards. Her husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned since December 2024. He was first arrested in 2019 for producing and distributing badges bearing the slogan “I oppose compulsory hijab.”

Iranian authorities have secretly executed four political prisoners within just 24 hours. Many more who were issued death sentences after sham trials are at imminent risk of being sent to the gallows. The Islamic Republic is using the cover of war to carry out unlawful executions. World leaders must demand that the authorities immediately halt these executions and release all political prisoners.

Meanwhile, Vahid Bani Amerian and Abolhassan Montazer face imminent execution after four of their co-defendants were executed on March 30–31. Since their transfer from Ghezel Hesar, authorities have refused to provide families or lawyers with any information about their whereabouts.

🚨 Several political prisoners sentenced to death in Iran are at imminent risk of execution following their transfer from Ghezel Hesar Prison. On Sunday, a number of political prisoners, including several already sentenced to death, were transferred from Ghezel Hesar to an undisclosed location. Subsequently, four political prisoners among those transferred were executed in secret on March 31 and 30, without notification to their families or lawyers. Concerns are now mounting for other transferred prisoners who are also sentenced to death. ⬇️