“My father has been condemned to death,” wrote Zhino Beigzadeh Babamiri, daughter of Kurdish-Iranian political prisoner Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on July 3.
Rezgar, a 47-year-old farmer from the Kurdish city of Bukan and father of three, is currently being held in Urmia Prison. His case has become emblematic of the Iranian authorities’ brutal crackdown on those associated with the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, which erupted nationwide following the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini in police custody.
Rezgar’s ordeal began in April 2023, when he was arrested for providing medical aid and supplies to protesters injured during the government’s violent suppression of demonstrations in Bukan. According to his family, his only “crime” was humanitarian: helping the wounded at a time when hospitals were under surveillance and many injured demonstrators feared seeking official medical care. Despite this, Iranian authorities charged him with far more serious offenses.
Initially, Rezgar was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Urmia Criminal Court on charges of complicity in the murder of a member of the Basij paramilitary force—a verdict rights groups have described as legally flawed and based on confessions extracted under torture. However, the situation escalated dramatically when, at the time of sentencing, a new and severe charge was abruptly introduced: plotting to assassinate Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—a charge absent from all previous investigations and court hearings. This new allegation led to a death sentence issued by Judge Reza Najafzadeh at Branch 1 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, known for its harsh rulings in political cases.
Zhino has been outspoken about the injustice her father faces. “These charges are politically motivated and grossly exaggerated. My father is a humanitarian who was simply helping the injured—something any decent person would do.” She also revealed that her father has endured severe physical and psychological torture in custody, including beatings, threats, prolonged solitary confinement, mock executions, electric shocks, and sleep deprivation—all aimed at forcing him to sign false confessions. In a letter from prison, Rezgar himself described the torture in detail, emphasizing that his only act was helping fellow citizens in need.
Rezgar’s death sentence comes amid a sharp rise in executions in Iran, particularly targeting political prisoners and those accused of involvement in the 2022 protests. According to Iran Human Rights, at least 98 people were executed in Iran last month alone, bringing the total for 2025 to 612—a 119% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the lack of due process in such cases, citing restricted access to legal representation and the use of torture to obtain confessions.
Zhino has appealed to the international community for urgent intervention. “He’s not just a name or a number. He’s my dad—a kind, selfless man who raised me to believe in compassion and justice. Now he’s alone in a prison cell, sentenced to death for doing the right thing. Every day, I wake up with fear in my chest that they might take him from me. Please, help me keep him alive. Raise his name, demand transparency, and pressure the Iranian authorities. Your voice could be the difference between life and death,” she pleaded.
The case of Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri underscores the ongoing climate of repression in Iran, where humanitarian acts during protests are criminalized, and the use of the death penalty against political prisoners continues to rise. Rights groups warn that without international pressure and independent investigations, the cycle of arbitrary arrests, torture, and executions will likely persist.
