Joint Statement by 15 Human Rights Organizations Calling for Urgent Action to Save Three Arab Political Prisoners Facing Execution

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Jul 16
3 min read

We, the undersigned human rights and civil society organizations, express our deep concern regarding reports indicating the transfer of three Ahwazi Arab political prisoners to solitary confinement and the imminent risk of their execution.

According to reports from Ahvaz, three Arab political prisoners, Ali Mojadam, Moein Khanfari, and Mohammadreza Moghadam sentenced to death, were transferred to solitary confinement on June 25, 2025. Their lives are now in grave danger. These individuals face execution on charges of “baghi” (armed rebellion against the state), despite credible allegations of gross violations of due process and the extraction of confessions under torture.

Their transfer to solitary confinement comes in the context of charges such as collaboration with opposition groups and actions against national security, for which they have been sentenced to death.

Background and Concerns

According to received reports, the three prisoners had previously been held in solitary confinement for extended periods and subjected to intense interrogations. Their renewed transfer to solitary confinement, particularly amid heightened domestic tensions following the recent 12-day military conflict between Iran and Israel, has intensified concerns among their families and human rights organizations regarding the imminent risk of execution.

We, the undersigned human rights organizations, strongly condemn the alarming increase in executions in Iran in recent months and warn of potential retaliatory measures by Iranian security institutions in the aftermath of the recent conflict. We express our profound concern regarding the continued use of the death penalty in Iran and call for its immediate cessation, as it constitutes an inhumane punishment that violates fundamental human rights.

Violations of International Law and the Demand for Justice.

Iran continues to have one of the highest execution rates in the world, often carried out following unfair trials, coerced confessions obtained under torture, and without access to legal counsel of one’s choosing. Those executed in Iran have not only been convicted of serious crimes, but also include political dissidents, members of ethnic and religious minorities, and individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense.

We firmly believe that the death penalty especially in a system lacking transparency, judicial independence, and democratic oversight is not a tool for justice, but rather a mechanism of repression, intimidation, and control. This practice is a violation of human dignity and contradicts Iran’s international obligations, including those under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Call for Immediate Global Action,

We urge the international community, human rights institutions, and governments to take immediate action and exert pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt the execution of these three Ahwazi activists, and to annul all death sentences issued against political, social, and civil activists in Iran.

We also call on the general public to participate in a campaign on the X (previously known as Twitter) under the hashtag “No to the Execution of Ahwazi Activists”, scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 20:00 Central European Time (CET) / 21:30 Tehran time.

Signatory Organizations:

1. Karun Human Rights Organization

2. Iran Human Rights

3. Kurdistan Human Rights Association – Geneva

4. Hengaw Organization for Human Rights

5. Hana Human Rights Organization

6. Tohra – Turkmen Sahra Human Rights Activists

7. Rasank

8. Arak Azerbaijani Human Rights Society

9. Kordpa Human Rights Organization

10. A.O.H.R Human Rights Organization

11. Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights