Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities executed Mehrab Abdollahzadeh in Urmia prison on Sunday morning, May 3, 2026. He had been convicted of involvement in the killing of a security officer during the widespread protests of 2022, which were held under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom.” These protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in a security detention facility.
The judiciary’s official news agency, Mizan, reported that the Supreme Court upheld the sentence against Abdullahzadeh, issued in late 2025. The agency described Abdullahzadeh as one of the “key individuals” responsible for the killing of Abbas Fatemieh. Fatemieh was a member of the Basij militia’s Beit al-Muqaddas Battalion and the Noushin Shahr Resistance Base. He was killed while participating in the suppression of protests in Urmia.
Allegations of torture and forced confession
While the Mizan News Agency claimed that the accused confessed to repeatedly striking the security officer in the face and assaulting him, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) quoted informed sources as saying that Abdullahzadeh was subjected to severe and systematic torture sessions to extract these confessions by force.
Human rights organizations confirmed that his trial lacked the most basic standards of justice and transparency. The verdict issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Urmia was based on the charge of “corruption on earth.” This is a vague charge used by the Iranian judicial system as a tool to eliminate political opponents and participants in demonstrations.
Final days in solitary confinement
According to human rights reports, Abdullahzadeh’s final days were marked by escalating mistreatment at the hands of the prison administration. He was transferred to solitary confinement on May 28th on the direct orders of the prison director. This followed a verbal altercation with an officer in the visiting room at Urmia Prison. This further isolated the prisoner before his sentence was carried out.
It is worth noting that Abdullahzadeh’s execution comes amidst an ongoing security campaign by Iranian authorities to close the files on the 2022 protests through the implementation of death sentences. This approach has drawn widespread international condemnation from United Nations organizations and human rights institutions, which are calling on Tehran to cease using the death penalty as a tool of political intimidation.
