Iranian authorities have executed at least three prisoners in political and national security cases over the past week, according to reports from human rights organizations and Iranian state media. The cases involve allegations of armed opposition, cooperation with a militant organization, and espionage.
On October 14, authorities executed Ali-Sina Mostafavi, a 38-year-old mountaineer and musician from Kerman. He was convicted of moharebeh (“enmity against God”) after being accused of carrying out armed attacks against civilians and security personnel. The judiciary also accused him of supporting exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi and participating in anti-government protests. Pahlavi disputed the accusations and alleged that Mostafavi had been tortured and forced to confess. These claims have not been independently verified.
On October 12, Iranian judicial authorities confirmed the execution of Omar Dorostaran, a 25-year-old Baloch prisoner from Sistan and Baluchestan Province. He was accused of cooperating with Jaish al-Adl, an armed militant organization, by providing transportation, accommodation, and logistical assistance. The Baloch human rights organization Halvash reported that Dorostaran had been denied regular family contact and subjected to torture to obtain a confession. The precise date of his execution remains unclear.
On October 11, Ayoub Mohammad Nabil, a 28-year-old Iraqi national, was executed at Lakan Prison in Rasht after being convicted of espionage for Saudi Arabia. According to the nonprofit organization Iran Human Rights, Nabil had entered Iran legally and was working as a caretaker when intelligence agents arrested him in August 2025. Sources familiar with his case alleged that he was subjected to psychological pressure during detention and denied the espionage accusations. His execution was not publicly announced by Iranian authorities.
The executions come as additional political prisoners face renewed death sentences. On October 14, lawyers for Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi confirmed that a Revolutionary Court had sentenced her to death for a second time, despite the Supreme Court’s earlier decision to overturn her original sentence over procedural deficiencies. Her lawyers maintain that the accusations against her are unsupported by sufficient evidence.
According to Iran Human Rights, 17 people have been executed on espionage charges in 2026, including 15 since the outbreak of the war. Separately, Hengaw reported on October 9 that at least 106 people detained during the January protests had received death sentences, of whom 35 had already been executed.
The latest cases highlight continuing concerns over the use of capital punishment in political and security proceedings, particularly allegations of torture, coerced confessions, and inadequate access to legal representation. Human rights organizations warn that additional prisoners remain at risk of execution as Iran continues to face wartime security pressures.