From rushed death sentences to torture and intimidation, the cases of Karim Khojasteh and Ehsan Rostami expose a pattern of judicial repression
The death sentence issued against 62-year-old political prisoner Karim Khojasteh and the imminent threat of execution facing Ehsan Rostami have once again drawn public attention to Iran regime’s security-driven judicial system and its use of capital punishment as a tool to eliminate political dissent.
Though differing in age, background, and personal history, the two cases share a common pattern: the use of the fabricated charge of “baghi” (armed rebellion), rushed or coercive judicial procedures, and overt intimidation aimed not only at the defendants, but at society as a whole.
Karim Khojasteh: A Death Sentence After a Minutes-Long Trial
Karim Khojasteh, a 62-year-old engineer and industrial machinery manufacturer from Anzali, is currently held in Lakan Prison in Rasht. A father of three and a former political prisoner from the 1980s, Khojasteh has been repeatedly arrested and released over the years due to his political background.
His most recent arrest took place on March 13, 2025, when security forces detained him at his industrial workshop on the Anzali–Khoman road and transferred him directly to Lakan Prison.
Khojasteh was charged with “baghi” solely on the basis of alleged sympathy for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). His case was handled by Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht, presided over by Judge Ahmad Darvish-Goftar. What authorities described as a “trial,” held on September 17, 2025, reportedly lasted only a few minutes.
According to his lawyer, Milad Panahi, the judge merely asked whether Khojasteh accepted or rejected the charge, ignoring all submitted defenses. On December 6, the death sentence by hanging was formally communicated to the defendant.
Panahi stated that issuing such a sentence without examining the defense violates basic legal principles and even contradicts the regime’s own norms in political-security cases. He emphasized that Khojasteh is a well-educated individual with a clear professional background, making the severity of the punishment particularly revealing.
In recent weeks, Khojasteh’s name has appeared prominently in protest campaigns. During the 100th week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” hunger strike, held across 55 prisons, political prisoners and activists explicitly demanded the cancellation of his execution.
On December 8, the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) issued a statement calling on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Special Rapporteur on Iran to take immediate action to halt Khajasteh’s execution and those of other political prisoners on death row.
Ehsan Rostami: Torture, Solitary Confinement, and a Looming Death Sentence
In a parallel case, the NCRI has warned that Ehsan Rostami, a 36-year-old sociologist and cultural activist, faces the risk of execution or heavy sentencing under the same charge of “baghi”.
On December 10, Branch 5 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office, presided over by investigator Jalayer, formally charged Rostami with “baghi” under the pretext of alleged cooperation with the PMOI/MEK. Immediately after the interrogation session, he was transferred to solitary confinement.
Rostami was arrested on August 20 during coordinated raids on multiple homes in Tehran, alongside relatives and friends, including his cousin Ramin Rostami. The detainees were subjected to four months of intense interrogations and severe psychological pressure.
In protest against torture and coercion, Ehsan and Ramin Rostami launched a 23-day hunger strike starting on October 2. Ehsan Rostami is a graduate of Allameh Tabataba’i University, the director of the “Samandar” publishing house and bookstore, and a well-known cultural figure active in economics, philosophy, and socio-political thought. Ramin Rostami, 29, is an electrical engineer and an independent cultural publisher.
The pressure extended beyond the detainees themselves. On October 17, Jahangir Rostami, Ehsan’s 63-year-old father and a retired educator, was arrested at his home in Harsin. He was severely beaten, sustaining injuries to his head and face, and two days later was brought—bloodied—before his son in an attempt to extract forced confessions.
Retirees’ associations in Kermanshah and Harsin condemned Jahangir Rostami’s arrest and abuse in official statements and public gatherings, demanding his release. He was eventually freed on temporary bail of 1.5 billion tomans.
A Strategy of Fear and Intimidation
Human rights observers note that the charge of “baghi”, which carries the death penalty, is increasingly deployed by Iran’s security apparatus as a means of intimidation. By threatening activists, intellectuals, and former political prisoners with execution, the regime seeks to deter young people and the broader population from joining organized resistance or engaging in political opposition.
The cases of Karim Khajasteh and Ehsan Rostami demonstrate how capital punishment, torture, and sham judicial procedures function as instruments of structural repression. Far from isolated incidents, these cases reflect a systematic effort to rule through fear—one that continues to erode any pretense of due process or judicial independence in Iran.
As executions and threats of execution escalate, these cases stand as stark evidence of a judicial system locked in a cycle of coercion and violence—one increasingly exposed by its own actions.
