May 2, 2026
The execution of Yaqoob Karimpour and Nasser Bakrzadeh on charges of “spying for Israel” once again showed that the Islamic Republic’s death and killing machine has been set in motion with alarming speed, and the charge of espionage has become the latest justification for these crimes. According to the judiciary, the sentences of these two prisoners were carried out after the Supreme Court approved them. Nasser Bakrzadeh’s sentence had previously been overturned due to a lack of legal evidence. The release of his audio file from Urmia Prison, in which he talks about constantly facing death, paints a shocking picture of the situation of these prisoners.
These executions are taking place in a situation where the process of repression and violence has noticeably intensified after the recent war. Political organizations and human rights institutions have repeatedly warned against using the death penalty as a tool to silence the voices of opponents. The acceleration of the issuance and execution of sentences, the pressure on political prisoners, and the justification of repression with language such as “war conditions” or “national security” all indicate an organized will to spread an atmosphere of fear and terror in society.
In such circumstances, the situation of political and human rights activists has become more and more worrying. Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent lawyer and activist, has been facing pressure, imprisonment, and severe restrictions for years for defending citizens’ rights. This time, on April 1, 2026, she was arrested again at her home in Tehran without a court order and transferred to an unknown location. Also, Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, despite her illness and security pressures, was transferred to Zanjan Prison in critical condition and has now been transferred to a hospital in Zanjan due to her deteriorating physical condition. Like Nasrin Sotoudeh, she is at the forefront of the fight against executions and repression. The continued pressure on these figures is a clear sign of the regime's fear of the voice of fight for rights and justice in Iranian society.
In the face of this horrific trend, the political community and human rights defenders in Iran must stand up to these brutalities with a loud and united voice and make the fight against executions, imprisonment, and repression an urgent and serious priority. Each execution makes the regime more aggressive in its attack on the right to life, and silence paves the way for the repetition of these tragedies. Today is the time to stand against the cycle of death with solidarity and persistence and defend the right to life of humans.
The Left Party of Iran calls on civil society institutions, human rights organizations, political parties, and organizations to break the taboo of avoiding standing together and to consult and take joint action to push back the tyrannical regime of the Islamic Republic. Without the solidarity of those opposed to the death penalty and imprisonment, the cycle of death will continue, and we will have to witness more people being hanged every day.
Shame and hatred on the murderous regime of the Islamic Republic!
Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran
May 2, 2026
افزودن دیدگاه جدید