Families of Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death Protest in Sonqor

Iran-HRM – On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, coinciding with the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, a group of families of political prisoners sentenced to death gathered in Sonqor, Kermanshah Province, to demand the revocation of their loved ones’ death sentences.

The families of political prisoners Vahid Bani Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi assembled in Sarab Park, holding photos of the two men along with placards bearing slogans against the death penalty. This demonstration, held on the last Tuesday of the Persian calendar year, was part of a growing movement against capital punishment in Iran.

Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death

Vahid Bani Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi, along with four other political prisoners—Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Abolhassan Montazer, Babak Alipour, and Mohammad Taqavi—were sentenced to death, imprisonment, and exile in December 2024. Their sentences were issued by Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court.

Profiles of the Sentenced Political Prisoners

Pouya Ghobadi

Pouya Ghobadi, born in 1992 in Sonqor, is a graduate of electrical engineering from Sanandaj University. He was arrested on February 22, 2024, while attempting to leave the country through Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan Province, and was transferred to Maku Prison before being moved to Ward 209 of Evin Prison on March 1, 2024.

Ghobadi has a history of prior arrests. In May 2018, he was detained by security forces in Tehran and later sentenced in two separate cases by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a total of 18 years in prison and exile to Nikshahr, Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Babak Alipour

Babak Alipour, born in 1991 in Amol and residing in Tehran, holds a law degree. He was arrested in January 2024 and transferred to Evin Prison’s Ward 209, where he remained in legal limbo for four months.

Alipour has previously been imprisoned for political activities. In November 2018, he and his brother, Rouzbeh Alipour, were arrested in Rasht’s fruit market. He was later sentenced by Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court to seven years in prison on charges of “membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.” He was released from Evin Prison in 2023 after serving two years of his sentence.

Vahid Bani Amerian

Vahid Bani Amerian, born in 1992 in Sonqor, holds a master’s degree in management from K. N. Toosi University of Technology in Tehran. He has a history of previous arrests in 2017 and 2018. In January 2019, he was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.”

In March 2021, he was arrested again and sentenced in September 2021 by Judge Moghiseh of Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to ten years in prison and two years of exile. His charges included “acting against national security through membership and collaboration with the PMOI/MEK,” “propaganda against the regime,” “destruction of state property,” and “assembly and collusion against national security.”

Bani Amarian has been held in both Evin and Gohardasht prisons. He was released from Gohardasht Prison in March 2023 and subsequently exiled to Bashagard, Hormozgan Province. He suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, a weakened immune system, and severe respiratory infections.

Shahrokh Daneshvarkar

Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar, born in September 1966, is a married father of a 12-year-old son. A former civil engineer, he was dismissed from his job and worked as a motorcycle courier. He was arrested on January 3, 2024, at his home in Tehran.

Mohammad Taqavi

Mohammad Taqavi, 57, is a former political prisoner from the 1980s. He holds a degree in graphic design from the University of Tehran and has a history of previous political imprisonments. In March 2024, he was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison’s Ward 209.

Taqavi was previously arrested in 2021 and served three years in Evin Prison on charges of supporting and having ties with the PMOI/MEK. He was released in February 2023.

Abolhassan Montazer

Abolhassan Montazer, born in 1959 in Tehran, is married and has two children. He holds a degree in architecture and worked in the private sector. He was arrested on December 22, 2023, and transferred to Evin Prison’s Ward 209 before being moved to Ward 4 after several months.

Montazer was previously imprisoned for political activities in the 1980s. In 2018, he was arrested in Tehran by security forces and later sentenced to five years in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Concerns Over Political Executions in Iran

The families of the sentenced prisoners have called on international human rights organizations and the global community to intervene and prevent the execution of their loved ones.

The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, which has gained traction across Iran, continues to highlight the plight of those facing execution, particularly political prisoners, as activists seek to pressure authorities into halting death sentences and ensuring fair trials.