The line is crackly. But the voice of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh is clear and, given the circumstances, surprisingly steady. He's on death row in western Iran. He speaks quickly - as if time is running out. And his message is desperate. You are hearing my voice from Oromiyeh Central Prison, and this may be the last time you hear it, he says in a voice note obtained by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.
From the very first day of my arrest, they forced confessions out of me through torture and threats, confessions that were entirely false. None of the charges against me are true. They know it, and God knows it. I am innocent.
Mehrab was arrested back in 2022, during nationwide protests that followed the death in police custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for not wearing her veil properly. He was accused of involvement in the killing of a member of Iran's Basij militia force. After 42 months of fear and sleepless nights, he was put to death earlier this month - part of a surge in executions of people on political and security charges.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, the UN says it's verified the execution of at least 32 political prisoners. This marks a sharp year-on-year increase, with 45 executions on politically motivated charges taking place across the whole of 2025, according to Amnesty International.
The UN's Human Rights Office has warned the death penalty is increasingly being used to silence political dissent. Several of those killed this year were accused of spying for Israel or the CIA, while some were affiliated with an exiled opposition group. Fourteen were arrested in relation to the January uprising, which was crushed with lethal force - leading to thousands of deaths.
Nassim Papayianni of Amnesty International states, In Iran, the authorities carry out executions by hanging. They carry them out at dawn. People in Iran have been waking up to near-daily announcements of executions.
This brutal tactic appears to serve as a tool of political repression, instilling fear among the populace, as the regime seeks to project its power amid multiple internal and external crises. As one condemned individual, Erfan Shakourzadeh, described prior to his execution, the judicial process is rife with abuse, stating he was pressured into false confessions after months of torture.
Last year, Iran carried out 2,159 executions, according to Amnesty, marking the highest number since 1981, with fears that the current year could even surpass this figure. As the Iranian government tightens its grip, critics and dissidents face an increasingly perilous environment, with many lives at risk.
From the very first day of my arrest, they forced confessions out of me through torture and threats, confessions that were entirely false. None of the charges against me are true. They know it, and God knows it. I am innocent.
Mehrab was arrested back in 2022, during nationwide protests that followed the death in police custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for not wearing her veil properly. He was accused of involvement in the killing of a member of Iran's Basij militia force. After 42 months of fear and sleepless nights, he was put to death earlier this month - part of a surge in executions of people on political and security charges.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, the UN says it's verified the execution of at least 32 political prisoners. This marks a sharp year-on-year increase, with 45 executions on politically motivated charges taking place across the whole of 2025, according to Amnesty International.
The UN's Human Rights Office has warned the death penalty is increasingly being used to silence political dissent. Several of those killed this year were accused of spying for Israel or the CIA, while some were affiliated with an exiled opposition group. Fourteen were arrested in relation to the January uprising, which was crushed with lethal force - leading to thousands of deaths.
Nassim Papayianni of Amnesty International states, In Iran, the authorities carry out executions by hanging. They carry them out at dawn. People in Iran have been waking up to near-daily announcements of executions.
This brutal tactic appears to serve as a tool of political repression, instilling fear among the populace, as the regime seeks to project its power amid multiple internal and external crises. As one condemned individual, Erfan Shakourzadeh, described prior to his execution, the judicial process is rife with abuse, stating he was pressured into false confessions after months of torture.
Last year, Iran carried out 2,159 executions, according to Amnesty, marking the highest number since 1981, with fears that the current year could even surpass this figure. As the Iranian government tightens its grip, critics and dissidents face an increasingly perilous environment, with many lives at risk.
