Statement by 13 Human Rights Organizations Condemning the Execution of Six Arab Political Prisoners in Ahvaz

We, the undersigned organizations of this statement, expressing our utmost grief and deep regret, strongly condemn the illegal and catastrophic action of the Islamic Republic of Iran in executing six Ahvazi Arab political prisoners in the early hours of Saturday, October 4, 2025, in Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz.

This action, carried out by order of judicial authorities and based on reports in the absence of any fair trial, is considered a clear violation of the right to life and a flagrant disregard for the fundamental principles of international human rights.

According to reliable reports, Messrs. Ali Mojadam, Moein Khanfari, Seyyed Salem Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Moghaddam, Adnan Alboshokeh (Ghabishavi), and Habib Deris, after years of enduring torture, long-term imprisonment, and deprivation of independent counsel and a fair trial, were executed secretly and without the knowledge of their families or court-appointed lawyers.

Furthermore, contrary to the explicit text of the law, the bodies of these prisoners have not yet been delivered to the grieving families, and their burial sites remain unknown—an act which in itself constitutes a double violation of human dignity and the rights of the families.

Reports received from internal sources also indicate that security forces, through threats and intimidation of families and local tribal elders, have prohibited them from holding any mourning ceremonies, memorials, or wakes. In some cases, even the recitation of the Quran and the holding of religious rites in the villages and mosques where the victims lived have been declared prohibited.

Karun Organization has confirmed this information from independent local sources.

These repressive behaviors, carried out within the framework of systematic policies of discrimination and intimidation against the Ahvazi Arab community, demonstrate the continuation of the government's security-oriented and inhumane approach toward the civil and political demands of the people in this region.

We also express serious concern regarding the Islamic Republic's attempt to justify these executions by attributing baseless charges of "connection with Israel" and "espionage," and emphasize that these prisoners have been held in prison since the years 2018 and 2019, and none of these charges were ever raised in the official cases of these six prisoners.

This media maneuver, which took place following the twelve-day war and within a tense regional political atmosphere, is a clear attempt to legitimize suppression and divert public opinion from the reality of political executions in Ahvaz.

The human rights organizations signing this statement, while condemning these mass executions, call upon the international community and relevant institutions to put effective pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the process of political executions and the systematic violation of the rights of the Arab nation of Ahvaz.

Signatory Organizations:

Karun Human Rights Organization

Iran Human Rights (IHR)

Kurdistan Human Rights Association – Geneva (KMMK-G)

Azerbaijan Human Rights Society (Arc)

Hana Human Rights Organization

Rasank

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights

Kurdpa Human Rights Organization

Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI)

Ahwaz Human Rights Organization (AHRO)

Shivar Human Rights Organization

Association for the Defense of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (ADAPP)

Center for Combating Racism in Iran