In a heinous act of state-sanctioned murder, the clerical regime in Iran has once again revealed its barbaric nature. On the morning of July 27, 2025, the regime’s henchmen executed political prisoners and members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. The regime’s own judiciary announced the crime. This was a calculated act of terror aimed at intimidating a restless and defiant population and the growing movement of youth who are gravitating toward the Iranian Resistance.
The victims’ “crime”: Allegiance to a free Iran
Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani were condemned for “baghi” (armed rebellion), “moharebeh” (waging war against God), and most revealingly, “membership in the Mojahedin (PMOI).” Their true “crime” was their unwavering belief in a free and democratic Iran and their affiliation with the organized opposition.
Behrouz Ehsani, 69, was a veteran of the struggle for freedom, having been arrested in Tehran on December 6, 2022. Mehdi Hassani, a 48-year-old father of three from Zanjan, was arrested on September 11, 2022. Both men represented the enduring spirit of resistance that the regime fears most.
The path to their execution was a horrifying showcase of the regime’s corrupt judicial system. From the moment of their arrests, both men were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture in the notorious Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Their death sentences were handed down by the infamous judge, Iman Afshari, a man known for his ruthlessness in issuing politically motivated verdicts against dissidents.
In a complete mockery of due process, multiple requests for judicial review were dismissed by the regime’s Supreme Court without the judges even bothering to obtain the original case files. Mehdi Hassani’s lawyer condemned the judiciary’s actions as a “total disregard for judicial transparency,” revealing he was denied access to the case file. Amnesty International had previously denounced their trials as “extremely unfair,” citing grave concerns about coerced confessions and the systematic denial of a fair defense.
Voices of defiance: The unbroken spirit of the resistance
Despite facing unimaginable brutality and a predetermined fate, the spirit of these heroes remained unbroken. After his death sentence was confirmed, Behrouz Ehsani sent out a powerful message that will echo throughout Iran’s history. He declared, “I will not bargain with anyone over my life and am ready to sacrifice my life for the cause of the liberation of the Iranian people.” His words are not a surrender to fate, but a defiant proclamation of his commitment to a cause far greater than his own life.
A broader campaign of terror under Pezeshkian’s presidency
These murders are not isolated events. They are the latest atrocities in a horrifying escalation of state-sanctioned killings under the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian. Since he took office in July 2024, the regime has executed more than 1,400 people, shattering any illusion of “moderation.” The international community, including UN Special Rapporteurs and Amnesty International, had repeatedly condemned the death sentences and called for them to be overturned, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. This wave of executions is part of a “desperate and brutal campaign by Khamenei’s regime to crush dissent amid rising fear of a public uprising.”
By murdering Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, Khamenei’s regime has exposed its profound weakness and fear. It is a regime that cannot tolerate dissent, that sees its own demise in the courage of its political prisoners, and that relies on the gallows to maintain its illegitimate rule. But these crimes will not bring it security. Instead, they will only further fuel the flames of public anger.
It is long past time for the international community to move beyond condemnation and take concrete, punitive actions to hold the criminal leaders of this regime accountable for their continuous crimes against humanity.