University student from Tabriz sentenced to death for political allegations

Hengaw: Monday, May 12, 2025
 
Ehsan Faridi, an ethnic Turkish student from Tabriz, has been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s judiciary on charges of Moharebeh (waging war against God), stemming from alleged political affiliations. He has remained in custody since last year.
 
According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 2 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abdi, convicted Faridi of Moharebeh based on accusations of membership in the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). The verdict was issued in the winter of 2025 but had not been previously disclosed.
 
A source close to the family confirmed that in March 2025, following an appeal by his defense attorney, the case was referred to the Supreme Court for further review.
 
Hengaw has learned that Faridi was subjected to physical and psychological torture during detention and was coerced into making false confessions. His conviction was based largely on reports from Iran’s Intelligence Department.
 
Faridi is a student of Manufacturing and Production Engineering at the University of Tabriz. He has been held in Tabriz Central Prison for over ten months without access to furlough and is currently confined to the prison’s quarantine ward.
 
He was arrested on June 18, 2024, following a summons to the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office. His detention was ordered by the investigating judge of Branch 15.
 
Previously, in March 2024, Faridi had also been arrested by security forces. After one month in detention, he was temporarily released on bail. In that earlier case, he was sentenced to six months in prison for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”