Three death row political prisoners removed from Urmia prison, raising fears of imminent executions
Hengaw – Thursday, April 30, 2026
The sudden and separate transfer of three death row political prisoners, Naser Bakrzadeh, Yaghoub Karimpour and Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, from Urmia Central Prison to undisclosed locations has sharply increased concerns that their executions may be imminent.
According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Kurdish political prisoner Naser Bakrzadeh was summoned to the sentence enforcement office on the morning of Thursday, April 30, 2026, and then transferred to an unknown location.
At the same time, Yaghoub Karimpour, a Turkish follower of the Yarsan religion and resident of Miandoab, was taken out of prison under the pretext of being sent to the forensic medicine office.
Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, who had been held in solitary confinement for the past two days, was also transferred to an undisclosed location.
Hengaw has expresses serious concern over the transfer of these three men in unmarked vehicles and under unclear pretexts, warning of an imminent risk that their death sentences may be carried out. The organization stresses that Naser Bakarzadeh, Yaqoub Karimpour, and Mehrab Abdollahzadeh were sentenced to death through highly opaque judicial proceedings, during which they were subjected to torture and denied access to due process and fair trial guarantees.
Background of the prisoners:
Naser Bakrzadeh: Bakrzadeh, a 26-year-old Kurdish prisoner from Urmia, was sentenced to death by Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court on charges of “spying for Israel.”
His sentence was upheld for a third time by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court in an expedited 10-day process and formally communicated to him on April 25, 2026.
He was severely tortured in the al-Mahdi detention center to extract forced confessions and was recently beaten in prison.
Yaghoub Karimpour: Karimpour, a graduate in public law from Miandoab, was sentenced to death by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Urmia on charges of “corruption on earth through espionage for Israel.”
He was tortured during detention to obtain forced confessions and that his wife, Saboura Lotfi, was also arrested to pressure him.
His death sentence was upheld last month by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court. He was arrested during the 12-day Iran-Israel war.
Mehrab Abdollahzadeh: Abdollahzadeh, a 27-year-old Kurdish man from Urmia and a detainee from the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, was sentenced to death on charges of “rebellion (baghi)” by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court.
His recent request for judicial review was rejected by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court.
Before being moved, he had been held in solitary confinement on the order of the prison director following an altercation with prison officials.
