Gilan Under Shadow of Executions; Human Rights Activists Warn Over Fate of Five Political Prisoners
As human rights organizations report a dramatic increase in executions in Iran, concerns over the fate of five Gilaki political prisoners in Lakan Prison in Rasht have reached new heights. Reports indicate that “Manouchehr Fallah,” “Peyman Farahavar,” “Yaqoub Derakhshan,” “Zahra Shahbazi Tabari,” and “Karim Khojasteh,” following proceedings that human rights activists consider lacking fair trial standards, have been sentenced to death. These cases are being raised amid international organizations warning of an increase in expedited trials, forced confessions, and political use of capital punishment in Iran.
According to information released by the human rights organization Hengaw, all five prisoners are currently held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, and there are fears that the sentences issued against them will be carried out in the near future. The organization has emphasized that the accused were deprived of fundamental rights such as effective access to legal counsel during detention and judicial proceedings, and death sentences were issued based on security and political charges.
Among these individuals, the name of Peyman Farahavar, a 37-year-old poet from Gilan, has drawn particular public attention. According to published reports, a significant portion of his activities involved criticism of environmental destruction, changes in agricultural land use, and the economic situation of farmers in Gilan Province. Human rights sources state that during his detention, he was deprived of visitation rights and free access to a lawyer and was subjected to severe pressures.
The case of Zahra Shahbazi Tabari is also considered one of the controversial cases in this group. This 68-year-old electrical engineer and civil activist had previously faced a death sentence annulment at the Supreme Court; however, following the case’s referral back, she was once again sentenced to death. Human rights activists believe the evidence presented against her was insufficient and unreliable for issuing such a sentence.
Karim Khojasteh, a political prisoner from the 1980s, Yaqoub Derkhshan from Bandar Anzali, and Manouchehr Fallah from Rasht have also been sentenced to death in separate cases on charges such as “baghi” (armed rebellion) and “moharebeh” (enmity against God). Families and human rights defenders say that documented and transparent details regarding the allegations against them have not been released, and the proceedings have been accompanied by serious ambiguities.
These concerns are being raised in a broader context. Amnesty International has stated in recent months that the Islamic Republic’s authorities have expanded the scope of suppression of opponents and critics through mass detentions, unfair trials, and executions. The organization has warned that dozens of political prisoners, protesters, and government critics face the risk of execution, and many of them have been tried in proceedings lacking international trial standards.
Reports released by human rights organizations also show that the number of political executions in Iran has been on an upward trend in recent months. Hengaw has reported a dramatic increase in executions of political and ideological prisoners in 2024 and described this trend as part of a policy to create fear and silence the voices of critics.
Critics of the Islamic Republic believe that capital punishment in many political cases is being used not as a tool for administering justice, but as a means of systematic suppression of opponents. They warn that indifference from the international community in the face of the current wave of executions could pave the way for the expansion of human rights violations and increased pressure on political prisoners in Iran. In contrast, Islamic Republic authorities have consistently rejected allegations of unfair trials and political use of capital punishment.
