Urgent alarms are mounting over the fate of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a 28-year-old barber from Urmia, whose death sentence has been finalized by the Iranian judiciary. Following the confirmation of his sentence by the Supreme Court, activists warn that his execution could be carried out at any moment, marking another grim chapter in the crackdown following the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising.
Mehrab Abdollahzadeh was initially sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia on the charge of Corruption on Earth (Fesad-e fi arz). This broad and vaguely defined charge is frequently used by the Iranian legal system in cases involving national security or political dissent. Despite appeals and international scrutiny, Branch 9 of the Supreme Court recently upheld the verdict, exhausting the legal avenues for a stay of execution.
The urgency of Abdollahzadeh’s situation is underscored by a recent precedent. Only days ago, the Iranian authorities executed Aghil Keshavarz, a 27-year-old student from Isfahan, at the same facility—Urmia Central Prison. Keshavarz had been accused of “espionage for Israel,” and his swift execution has heightened fears that the judiciary is moving rapidly to clear its backlog of high-profile political cases.
Abdollahzadeh was not a career activist. However, his life was upended in 2022 during the height of the nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini.
According to reports, he was arrested at his workplace by agents of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The state accused him of participation in the killing of a member of the Basij, a paramilitary wing of the IRGC often used for domestic suppression. While the state maintains its narrative of his involvement, independent observers and rights groups point to a glaring lack of physical evidence.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) and other monitors have documented harrowing details regarding Abdollahzadeh’s time in IRGC custody. Sources indicate that he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture aimed at extracting a “confession” regarding the Basij member’s death.
The reliance on such a confession is a cornerstone of the Revolutionary Court System, yet in this case, the evidence appears to contradict the verdict. Legal advocates note that existing CCTV footage and mobile recordings from the scene of the incident do not show Abdollahzadeh’s presence. This discrepancy suggests that the conviction rests almost entirely on statements made under duress rather than forensic or eyewitness testimony.
Throughout the entire interrogation phase and the subsequent court proceedings, Abdollahzadeh was reportedly denied access to an independent lawyer. In such cases, the court often appoints state-vetted attorneys who frequently fail to provide a vigorous defense.
The judicial process was described as “lightning-fast.” The death sentence was handed down after only two brief online sessions and a single, minutes-long in-person hearing. During these hearings, Abdollahzadeh was reportedly given no meaningful opportunity to present evidence or challenge the prosecution’s claims, rendering the trial a mere formality for a pre-determined outcome.
To further isolate the young barber, the security apparatus allegedly targeted his inner circle. Reports indicate that his partner was detained by the IRGC and used as leverage. Authorities reportedly threatened to arrest other members of his family if he did not cooperate with the prosecution’s narrative. This tactic of “guilt by association” is a common tool used by security forces to break the will of detainees and silence their families.
