Accusations of torture, coerced confessions, and lack of due process cast a shadow over one of the harshest rulings since the 2022 nationwide protests.
The Revolutionary Court of Urmia, under the supervision of Judge Reza Najafzadeh, has sentenced five Kurdish Iranian citizens from the city of Bukan to a total of 12 death sentences and 75 years in prison. The verdict, one of the most severe issued in recent years, was formally communicated to the defense lawyers on July 7, 2025.
The convicted individuals—Soran Ghasemi (Ali), Pejman Soltani, Kaveh Salehi, Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, and Tayfour Salimi Babamiri—were all arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022. According to their families and legal representatives, they were subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, intense interrogations, physical and psychological torture, and months of enforced disappearance in detention centers run by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The defense maintains that confessions extracted under torture formed the foundation of the court’s ruling, which they argue was marred by grave violations of due process. The trial, held in three online sessions, reportedly took place without the presence of an independent observer, and the defense lawyers were only allowed to speak orally during the reading of the indictment. No opportunity was provided for a proper legal defense or cross-examination.
The charges brought against the five men were sweeping and severe, including:
- “Rebellion against the state”
- “Waging war against God” (moharebeh)
- “Forming and leading a rebel group”
- “Intelligence cooperation with a hostile government”
- “Smuggling Starlink satellite devices”
- “Collusion and conspiracy against national security”
- “Propaganda against the regime”
According to the court ruling:
- Soran Ghasemi, Pejman Soltani, and Kaveh Salehi were each sentenced to three death sentences and 15 years in prison. Ghasemi and Soltani received an additional 10 and 15 years respectively for aiding and abetting murder, although Salehi was acquitted of this charge.
- Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri received two death sentences and 15 years, plus another 15 years for aiding and abetting murder in a separate case.
- Tayfour Salimi Babamiri was sentenced to one death sentence and 15 years in prison, and is currently released on bail of 5 billion tomans.
In addition to these five, six other individuals—including Heyman Kermanj, Javanmard Mam Khosravi, Jalil Moludi, Ahmad Mamzadeh, Abu Bakr Mamzadeh, and one unnamed defendant—received prison sentences ranging from 5 to 10 years.
Under Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, when multiple charges result in convictions, the defendant is to serve only the sentence for the most severe offense. In these cases, that means execution is the final and overriding punishment.
During detention, they were deprived of any contact with their relatives, and subjected to coercive interrogations aimed at forcing confessions. Some were reportedly told their family members would be arrested or executed if they did not comply.
The prosecution claimed that the defendants were collaborating with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, and had intended to distribute 120 Starlink satellite internet devices in western Iran to assist in anti-government activities. However, defense lawyers and independent legal analysts say no credible evidence or technical documentation was presented in court to substantiate these allegations. The case, they argue, relies entirely on statements made under duress.
Experts warn that such politically charged accusations are often used by the regime to intimidate the public and silence dissent, especially in Kurdish-populated areas known for resistance against central authority.
This is not the first time some of the accused have faced harsh sentences. Pejman Soltani, for instance, had already been sentenced to death in a separate case by the West Azerbaijan Juvenile Criminal Court, bringing his total number of death sentences to four. Soran Ghasemi now faces three death sentences in addition to a 10-year sentence for aiding murder.
Human rights observers and legal scholars have decried the verdicts as an example of “judicial cruelty” and a blatant violation of the principle of proportionality in sentencing. They emphasize that the lack of due process, the use of torture, and the severity of the punishments reflect a deepening pattern of repression, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political activists in Iran.
The ruling has sparked renewed outrage among human rights organizations and calls for international intervention to prevent the executions and ensure that the defendants receive a fair retrial in accordance with international legal standards.
