The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) has issued an urgent appeal to the UK government to intervene in the cases of Behrouz Ehsani, 70, and Mehdi Hassani, 48, two Iranian political prisoners facing imminent execution in Ghezel Hesar Prison after sham trials.
The BCFIF press release, dated January 27, condemns the Iranian regime’s escalating crackdown on political prisoners and calls for immediate international action to prevent these executions. The committee has also urged the UK government to impose sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for these judicial killings.
Fabricated Charges and Unjust Sentences
Ehsani and Hassani, both accused of supporting the banned People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), were sentenced to death in September 2024 by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by notorious regime judge Iman Afshari. Their sentences were upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court on January 7, 2025, based on fabricated charges of “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth.”
The prisoners were forcibly transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison on January 26 without prior notice, a move that is often a precursor to execution. In response, fellow inmates at Evin Prison protested, chanting anti-regime slogans, warning of an uprising if the executions proceed.
Amnesty International has condemned their trial as “grossly unfair,” emphasizing that the convictions were based on forced confessions obtained under torture. The organization has issued two urgent appeals this month calling on Iranian authorities to halt the executions immediately.
Amnesty International urges immediate action to halt execution of two political prisoners in Iran https://t.co/Gmk3G2Thnq
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 27, 2025
UK Must Act Now, Say Lawmakers
The BCFIF has called on the UK government to take immediate steps to stop the executions and hold Iran’s leadership accountable. The statement urges the UK to work with international allies, including the United Nations, to increase pressure on Tehran.
“The UK Government should impose sanctions on those responsible for these death sentences and for the record number of executions in Iran, including Supreme Leader Khamenei,” the statement reads.
The committee warns that Ehsani and Hassani’s cases are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader campaign by Iran’s regime to silence dissent through judicial killings. It notes that six other political prisoners have been sentenced to death in recent months on similar politically motivated charges linked to the PMOI.
https://twitter.com/IranHrm/status/1885299767120715810
Support for a Democratic Alternative
Beyond immediate intervention, the BCFIF stresses the need for a long-term approach to Iran’s human rights crisis. It endorses the Ten-Point Plan of Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, which calls for the abolition of the death penalty, democratic governance, and the protection of human rights.
“This democratic platform was endorsed by over 250 cross-party MPs and Peers last year,” the statement highlights, reinforcing that global momentum exists to support democratic change in Iran.