Hengaw report on the execution and enforced disappearance of six political prisoners by the Iranian Government on charges of espionage for Israel

Hengaw – Saturday, May 27, 2025

Amid escalating hostilities between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel, six political prisoners — including three Kurdish individuals — were secretly executed on charges of “espionage for Israel.” Iranian security forces have refused to return the bodies to their families and have prevented any mourning ceremonies from taking place—an act that constitutes a clear case of enforced disappearance.

According to information verified by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the identities of the six executed political prisoners are Azad Shojaei, 31 years old, from Sardasht; Idris Ali, from Sardasht; Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, from Sulaymaniyah; Esmail Fekri, 30 years old, from Tehran; Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, 27 years old, from Tehran; and Majid Masibi, from Isfahan.

So far, none of their bodies have been handed over to their families, and the locations of their graves remain unknown.

Secret executions with retaliatory intent

Between June 16 and June 25, 2025, the six political prisoners were executed in various prisons across Iran without prior notification to their families:

On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Azad Shojaei and Idris Ali (both from Sardasht), along with Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul (from Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, were executed in Urmia Central Prison.

Esmail Fekri was hanged on June 16, 2025, in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Majid Masibi was executed on June 22, 2025, at an undisclosed location.

Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh was executed on June 23, 2025, in Ghezel Hesar Prison.

Security pressure on families of the executed

Hengaw has received information that the families of these prisoners, in addition to being denied the right to hold mourning ceremonies, are under immense security pressure. Their repeated attempts to retrieve the bodies from judicial and intelligence institutions have been met with threats and obstruction.

Enforced disappearance: A clear violation of International Law

Iranian authorities have refused to return the bodies of these prisoners and have concealed their burial sites. These executions are therefore classified as secret executions and, under international law, constitute enforced disappearances — a grave violation of human rights.

Hengaw stresses that these executions were carried out in line with the Islamic Republic’s retaliatory policies and blatant disregard for fundamental human rights.

Ongoing violation of families’ rights

Executing prisoners without notifying their families, withholding their bodies, and refusing to disclose burial locations not only violate the rights of the victims but also the basic rights of their families.

The denial of burial and mourning rights — alongside secret executions and judicial opacity — constitutes enforced disappearance and a severe violation of human dignity. The Islamic Republic of Iran systematically enacts these practices against political prisoners and their families, particularly in Kurdistan.

Enforced disappearance as a state policy against dissidents

The use of enforced disappearance as a tool of repression has a long history in the policies of the Islamic Republic. It has been widely employed against Kurdish political activists, leftists, Baha’is, and members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Notable cases include the enforced disappearances and executions of Farzad Kamangar, Sherko Moarefi, Ramin Hossein Panahi, Mohyeddin Ebrahimi, Hidayat Abdollahpour, Loghman and Zanyar Moradi, and dozens of other political prisoners.

Hengaw’s call to action

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, while emphasizing the importance of adhering to fundamental human rights principles, strongly condemns these secret executions and the associated violations of families’ rights.

Hengaw calls on the international community, human rights institutions, and global bodies to fulfill their legal responsibilities by holding the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable and demanding an immediate end to these repressive and inhumane practices.