Iran executed another Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Woman, Life, Freedom) protester, 23-year-old Mohammad Ghobadlou, early on Tuesday, despite his death sentence having previously been overturned by the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Court.
Ghobadlou’s lawyer, Amir Raisian, issued a warning on Monday evening that he had received notification of the imminent execution. He described the act as “nothing less than murder”, citing a series of alarming human rights violations and the Supreme Court’s reversal.
Ghobadlou’s family and dozens of concerned people gathered outside the prison, hoping that their presence would at least delay the execution. However, the Iranian judiciary officially announced that the sentence had been carried out at dawn.
A video has emerged on social media showing Ghobadlou’s mother at the prison gate shouting at the guards: “You’ve killed my Mohammad, he’d taken to the streets for all you young people.”
Ghobadlou was accused of hitting and killing a policeman with his car during nationwide protests, a charge he vehemently denied. He was sentenced to death in November 2022, but the Supreme Court later overturned the sentence, citing irregularities in the trial.
A striking aspect of Ghobadlou’s case is his reported struggle with bipolar disorder. His family alleges that the authorities denied him access to medication during his detention. In a video of a court hearing released by media close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ghobadlou can be seen showing signs of distress and avoiding direct eye contact with the judge.
Habib Daneshvar, another protester who shared a cell with Ghobadlou, wrote in a letter that Ghobadlou’s mental health had deteriorated during his time in prison. Daneshvar described an incident in which Ghobadlou hit a fellow prisoner in a fit of rage, leading to his placement in solitary confinement. Strikingly, Ghobadlou had no recollection of the incident the following day.
The BBC Persian had previously obtained information confirming that Ghobadlou had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder since 2016. Ghobadlou himself emphasised this during court hearings, and his mother has always maintained that her son suffered from mental illness.
In a developing event, it has been reported that Kurdish political prisoner Farhad Salimi was also executed on Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage. Human rights organisation Hengaw said that attempts by Salimi’s family to make a final visit were thwarted, arriving at the prison to find that the execution had already taken place.
Salimi, along with three others, had been on hunger strike since 30 December in protest at the execution of three of his co-defendants and out of fear for their own impending fate.
The controversial executions come amid a notable increase in the use of the death penalty in the country. According to the US-based Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency, Iran is the world’s leading executioner, averaging three executions a day. More than 800 executions were reported in 2023, including several political prisoners. Political prisoners in Iran often face unfair trials without due process or a fair chance to defend themselves.
During the nationwide anti-regime protests in 2022-2023, security forces reportedly killed around 550 demonstrators, arrested 22,000 people, and injured hundreds of civilians, mostly young people, frequently targeted in the eyes resulting in loss of sight, and other permanent damage.
