The Brutal Realities in Iran's Death Cells
Terror lingers within the confines of the execution chambers of the Iranian clerics
By Night Owl
Mehdi Hassani is a man on death row, imprisoned in Ghezel Hesar, a notorious prison known as the last stop before the gallows in Alborz province, Iran. He is a vocal critic of the Iranian regime, and his daughter Maryam can hardly bear the thought of what her father may have endured in the torture chambers.
His last meeting with Maryam was on September 6, 2022. At first, she wasn't sure where he'd vanished to. Then, a letter from the Iranian security authorities arrived: Mehdi Hassani had been arrested and taken to Evin Prison in Tehran. He had been a critic of the regime as far back as Maryam can remember.
Politics and Human Rights Hassani's Plight Reflects Iran's Brutal Treatment of Critics
The physical and psychological treatment meted out by the Iranian regime towards dissenters is extensively documented in a recent UN report. At least 975 people were executed in Iran last year, making it the nation's highest execution toll since 2015, according to UN Deputy Human Rights Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif. Many of these prisoners were reportedly tortured prior to their execution.
"My father sustained severe injuries to his neck, back, and feet in captivity," Hassani shared with ntv.de. Among the torture methods were deprivation of food, opportunities to sleep, and even threats against her eight-year-old brother. Officially, her father was charged with "armed rebellion against the state," "enmity against God," and "corruption on earth." In Iran, Sharia law serves as the foundation for state legislation.
"Psychological pressure was also applied to force false confessions," Hassani added. "They threatened him repeatedly in prison that they would harm his family. They even threatened to assault my young brother."
Politics The Grim Reality of Iran's Prisons
Amnesty International has reported that Mehdi Hassani was "sentenced to death in a grossly unfair trial in September 2024." The trial lasted only five minutes and was marked by accusations of torture and other abuse, resulting in coerced confessions.
According to Amnesty International, the Iranian regime continues to incarcerate, torture, and execute individuals associated with the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement. This movement emerged in protest against the repression of Iranian citizens in September 2022, following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by the morality police for improperly wearing her headscarf.
Mehdi Hassani – A Supporter of Women's Rights
Hassani, like his daughter, has advocated for women's rights. While he prefers to remain discrete about the specifics of his political activity to protect himself, he was accused of being a member of the opposition organization, the People's Mujahedin (MEK).
Established in 1965, the MEK initially played a significant role in overthrowing the shah's regime during the 1979 Revolution. However, the movement quickly lost ground in the power struggle that followed. In 1981, it relocated to Paris. During the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the MEK allied itself with Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein. From 2001 to 2009, the European Union considered the MEK a terrorist organization. Although it was removed from the U.S. terror list in 2012, the Iranian regime still views it as an enemy and persecutes its members.
Overview
Iran's prisons continue to witness severe human rights violations, primarily involving abusive deaths and torture, mirroring a disturbing pattern of repression. The Iranian regime is infamous for persecuting critics, minorities, women, political dissidents, and accused drug offenders through executions, torture, denying medical treatment, enforced disappearances, and unfair trials.
The international community and human rights organizations are pressing for an immediate end to executions, independent prison oversight, protection against torture, and adequate medical care for all detainees. The ongoing abuses in Iran's prisons underline the critical danger faced by individuals like Mehdi Hassani, imprisoned on political charges.
- The brutal treatment of critics, such as Mehdi Hassani, by the Iranian regime is a significant human rights issue that falls under the focus of both general-news and politics, as well as employment policy, given the implications for freedom of speech and assembly.
- The extreme policies employed in Iran's justice system, including the high rate of executions, torture, and persecution of political dissidents, are matters of concern not only within domestic politics but also in the realm of global crime-and-justice discourse, as they violate fundamental human rights as stipulated in various community policies.
