Parents of Nasser Bakarzadeh, Kurdish political prisoner Save our only child, he is innocent and in serious danger of execution
April 27, 2026; one day after the third upholding of the death sentence of Nasser Bakarzadeh, a Kurdish political prisoner held in the Central Prison of Urmia, by the Supreme Court, the parents of this prisoner released a video filled with concern and helplessness, calling for the halt of their son's execution. The death sentence of Nasser Bakarzadeh was upheld by the Supreme Court on April 25, 2026, and was notified to the Execution of Sentences Office of the Central Prison of Urmia on the same day; a sentence that had previously been overturned twice by the Supreme Court due to lack of sufficient evidence and violations of due process, but has been upheld again this time amidst the atmosphere caused by the recent war. In their appeal, the parents of this prisoner emphasized their son's innocence and his status as a tourist, stating that "Nasser has committed no crime" and requested that "save Nasser and do not let him be executed."
Text of the appeal from Nasser Bakarzadeh's mother:
"I am the mother of Nasser Bakarzadeh, a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to death in Urmia Prison. Nasser has been in prison for three years innocently. Nasser's sentence was overturned twice in the Supreme Court, but for the third time, he was sentenced to death again; now, because of this war, Nasser's sentence has been upheld for the third time in the Supreme Court. I request all of you to save Nasser and do whatever you can. We only have Nasser; he is an only child. I beg all of you to save Nasser and not let him be executed. Nasser was innocent; he was a tourist and went to prison for tourism and they gave him a death sentence. I beg everyone to save Nasser and not let him be executed."
Text of the appeal from Nasser Bakarzadeh's father (he appealed in both Persian and Kurdish):
"I am Mullah Mansour Bakarzadeh, a resident of Urmia; my only child named Nasser Bakarzadeh is a Kurdish political prisoner who has been in prison for three years. My son’s work was tourism and he has been tried three times in the courts of Urmia; Branch One presided over by Mr. Najafzadeh and Branch Three Mr. Bozorkar gave my son the death sentence the first time, and the second and third time Branch Two Mr. Ghorban Shahini and the third time Judge Mahmoudi issued the death sentence for my son. The first and second time, my son's sentence was overturned in the Supreme Court for many reasons that show my son is innocent. But unfortunately, because of this recent war that happened in Iran, the same Branch 39 of the Supreme Court upheld my son's sentence. It is a question for me and the people: why should my son, who has been in prison for three years, have his sentence overturned twice and have the same Branch 39 uphold it for the third time? If my son was supposed to have done something, he would have done it the first and second time as well, and if he hasn't, why did they uphold my son's death sentence because of this war? I am a cleric myself and my son is also a cleric and has studied divinity. How can someone who has studied divinity and my only child who grew up under the shadow of Islam and the Quran be given such an accusation? Therefore, I request all Sunni clerics and all human rights activists and civil activists and anyone who can do something for us so that my son's sentence is not executed to help, because my son is truly being oppressed and has truly done nothing. In the way of God, anyone who can do something so that my son's death sentence is not executed. According to the verse that God says in the Quran, whoever saves a person's life from death, it is as if he has saved the lives of all people from death. Anyone who can do something so that my son's death sentence, which is scheduled to be carried out, is not executed. I want to speak in Kurdish as well, as there may be people who do not know Persian."
On April 25, 2026, the Supreme Court exactly upheld the death sentence of Nasser Bakarzadeh, the Kurdish prisoner held in the Central Prison of Urmia, which had been issued for the third time in February 2026 by Branch Two of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia on charges of "espionage for Israel," and on the same day, this sentence was officially notified to the Execution of Sentences Office of the Central Prison of Urmia.
Nasser Bakarzadeh had previously been sentenced to death in November 2024 by Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia on charges of "espionage for Israel." This sentence was overturned in April 2025 during the appeal stage by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court due to investigative defects and lack of attention to the reasons for innocence and was referred back to the court of equal standing in Urmia for retrial.
Subsequently, this prisoner was once again sentenced to death by Branch Two of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia presided over by Judge Shahini, a sentence which was again overturned in November 2025 by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court due to file defects. However, in February 2026, the same charge was brought against him for the third time and a death sentence was issued, which was finally upheld by the Supreme Court on April 25, 2026.
Nasser Bakarzadeh, from Urmia, was initially arrested by security forces on August 9, 2023, and was released with a commitment after a few weeks, but was arrested again on January 2, 2024, and after interrogation at the IRGC Intelligence detention center, was transferred to the Central Prison of Urmia.
