Six death row political prisoners beaten and secretly transferred amid mass return to Evin Prison
Hengaw – Friday, August 8, 2025
In a large-scale transfer of political prisoners from Great Tehran Penitentiary, six death row inmates — Mohammad Taghavi, Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Vahid Beni-Amrian, Pouya Ghobadi, Babak Alipour, and Babak Shahbazi — were violently beaten by security forces, separated from the rest of the prisoners, and taken to an undisclosed location. The incident has fueled serious concerns over the imminent execution of their death sentences.
According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, at around 4:00 a.m. on Friday, August 8, 2025, the six political prisoners were forcibly removed from other inmates during the mass transfer operation. Witnesses say they were subjected to severe beatings before being moved to an unknown location.
The operation coincided with the return of more than 600 political prisoners from Great Tehran Penitentiary to wards 7 and 8 of Evin Prison. The transfers began at dawn and were carried out without notifying families.
Sources familiar with the situation told Hengaw that the move sparked protests and resistance from other political prisoners. Security forces and special guards responded with intense violence, using force to isolate the six death row inmates before removing them from the facility.
Families of the prisoners remain completely in the dark about their loved ones’ whereabouts or condition, deepening fears for their safety.
Friday’s transfer targeted over 600 political and security prisoners who had previously been moved to Great Tehran Penitentiary following the July bombing of Evin Prison and recent mass arrests. The return to Evin took place under heavy security measures.
During the operation, several other prominent political prisoners — including Abolfazl Ghadyani, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohammad-Bagher Bakhtiar, Matloub Ahmadian, Mehdi Mahmoudian, Khashayar Safidi, Amirhossein Mousavi, Hossein Shanbehzadeh, Morteza Parvin, and Mohammadreza Faghihi — were also reportedly beaten by prison guards.
Meanwhile, Mizan News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, announced that part of Evin Prison had resumed operations, describing the return of prisoners as taking place after “debris removal” and the construction of new accommodations. However, reconstruction remains incomplete, and many human rights defenders and families view the move as a superficial attempt to restore the appearance of normalcy.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights expresses grave concern over the violent transfer of death row political prisoners and the continued inhumane conditions at Evin Prison. Hengaw reiterated its call for the international community to uphold its human rights obligations, take immediate steps to halt the executions, and end the torture and mistreatment of detainees. The organization stressed that the ongoing situation represents a blatant violation of human rights and poses a serious threat to the lives of political prisoners.
