BCFIF warns of Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty as a political weapon amid record executions under Masoud Pezeshkian
The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) has voiced deep concern over the imminent execution of political prisoner Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani, after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld his death sentence over the weekend.
According to the Committee’s statement released on 6 October 2025, Mr. Vafaei-Sani was arrested five years ago in Mashhad and sentenced to death last year on charges related to his alleged affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK)—Iran’s principal opposition movement. During his imprisonment, he has reportedly endured torture and severe pressure. His lawyer stated that the death sentence was confirmed despite serious legal irregularities and violations of due process.
BCFIF highlighted that at least 17 other political prisoners are currently on death row in Iran under similar charges, all facing imminent execution. Their cases, the statement added, are “marred by torture and gross violations of fair trial standards.”
Earlier this year, Iranian authorities executed Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani for alleged membership in the PMOI. The Committee recalled its 28 July statement condemning those executions, warning that the Iranian regime’s pattern of targeting dissidents could foreshadow another wave of mass executions reminiscent of the 1988 massacre, during which an estimated 30,000 political prisoners were killed.
BCFIF condemned what it described as the regime’s increasing use of the death penalty as a political tool to silence dissent and crush the growing pro-democracy movement in Iran. It emphasized that the trend has reached alarming proportions, noting that over 1,800 people have been executed since Masoud Pezeshkian took office, including women and political prisoners.
The Committee urged the UK Government and the international community to act swiftly to prevent another crime against humanity and to save the lives of political prisoners currently facing execution. “Condemnation is not enough,” the statement said, calling for concrete measures to hold the Iranian regime accountable.
Specifically, the BCFIF urged the UK to impose targeted human rights sanctions against officials responsible for the executions, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and to condition any future engagement with Tehran on a moratorium on executions and the immediate release of political prisoners.
The statement concluded with a strong appeal:
“The international community must not remain silent in the face of this escalating campaign of repression. Firm and urgent action is needed to stop the execution of Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani and others who are being punished simply for seeking freedom and justice.”
Source: British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF), 6 October 2025
