Unrelenting executions in Iran; from Mashhad protesters to Baloch prisoners, justice or political settlement?

The secret executions of Ebrahim Dolatabadi, Mehdi Rasouli, and Mohammad Reza Miri in Mashhad, as well as Ghasem Nouri Roudini in Isfahan, have been carried out amid reports of forced confessions, lack of fair trials, and pressure on families, a trend that has heightened concerns about the use of the death penalty as a tool of repression in Iran to an unprecedented degree.

As a new wave of executions in Iran continues to be carried out in secret and hastily, reports indicate widespread violations of fair trial, forced confessions, and pressure on families, a trend that has sharply increased concerns about the use of the death penalty as a tool of repression and intimidation in society.

As security pressures in Iran increase, new reports indicate a series of executions against protesters and prisoners, sentences that many human rights organizations consider an example of "state murder" and a tool of political repression.

In the most recent case, the execution of Ebrahim Dowlatabadi, one of the detainees from the January protests in Mashhad, was carried out secretly in the city's Vakilabad prison. The execution took place without prior notification and just days after the verdict was issued, a move that has once again intensified criticism of non-transparent judicial processes in Iran.

The day after the execution, the official news agency of the judiciary, Meezan, published a report describing him as “one of the leaders of the protests” and a “Mossad agent,” claims that, according to independent sources, were made without providing any verifiable documentation. In contrast, sources close to the prisoner’s family insist that the process of handling his case lacked the criteria of a fair trial and that political motives even played a role in the sentencing.

Ebrahim Dowlatabadi, a father of two young children, was executed while other members of his family were also arrested during the same protests. Reports indicate that some of these individuals remain in detention and have previously been subjected to security pressure.

On the same day, two other young protesters, Mehdi Rasouli and Mohammad Reza Miri, were also executed in Mashhad’s Vakilabad prison. The two had been sentenced to death in a joint case based on confessions allegedly obtained under torture. One of them had stated before the execution that the only evidence against him was a video of the fight and that he had confessed to the murder under extreme pressure.

Informed sources also reported that the two prisoners were deprived of the right to a final visit with their families and that the execution of the sentence was carried out abruptly. Their bodies were also handed over to their families under security measures.

In another development, the death sentence of a Baluch prisoner named Qasem Nouri Rudini was also carried out in Isfahan Central Prison. This despite the fact that his sentence had been overturned twice before by the Supreme Court, the execution was carried out suddenly and without any official explanation. The father of two had always denied the charges against him.

A notable point in this case is the lack of official announcement of the execution in state media; an issue that, according to observers, indicates the continuation of the silent executions trend in Iran.

In recent months, human rights groups have repeatedly warned of a surge in executions, particularly in relation to protesters. Reports suggest that pressure on families to remain silent, the use of forced confessions and speeding up executions have become part of a systematic pattern.

In such circumstances, experts believe that the continuation of this process will not only deepen the gap between society and the government, but also further question the credibility of the judicial system. At the same time, calls for the international community to respond more seriously to the human rights situation in Iran are increasing.