Benjamin Naghdi, one of the detainees of the nationwide protests of 2025, was sentenced to execution by the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz on the charge of “corruption on earth”. His defense lawyer has announced that he will submit a request for cassation to the Supreme Court regarding this verdict.
Iran Human Rights Society, Saturday 30 May 2026 – Benjamin Naghdi, one of the detainees of the nationwide protests of 2025 in Shiraz, was sentenced to execution by the Revolutionary Court of this city. This young athlete was active in kickboxing and Muay Thai disciplines before his arrest. After several changes in the titles of the charges and while some of the charges raised against him by the prosecutor’s office were subject to a non-prosecution order, he faced an execution verdict. His lawyer has expressed hope that the Supreme Court will overturn the issued verdict, considering the lack of bodily injury in this case.
Why Was Benjamin Naghdi Sentenced to Execution?
Based on the statements of Mostafa Nili, Benjamin Naghdi’s defense lawyer, his client was initially faced with the charge of “attempted murder”. This charge was later changed to “enmity against God” during the proceedings and after the end of the preliminary investigations, the prosecutor’s office issued an indictment with a set of security charges against him. In the indictment of the case, charges including “enmity against God”, “membership in groups disrupting the country’s security”, “assembly and collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the country’s security” and “propaganda activity against the system” were raised.
However, the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz recognized all these charges as examples of “corruption on earth” and on this basis issued an execution verdict for Benjamin Naghdi.
When and Why Was Benjamin Naghdi Arrested?
Benjamin Naghdi was arrested on 2 January 2026 during the wave of arrests related to the nationwide protests. According to his defense lawyer, the reason for his arrest was stated as “igniting a fire extinguisher device towards the officers of the Law Enforcement Force”.
His arrest took place in conditions where after the nationwide protests of January 2026, security and judicial institutions had started extensive confrontations with protesters, civil activists and citizens participating in the protests. In the months following these protests, hundreds of citizens in various cities of Iran were arrested and a number of them faced security cases and heavy charges.
Were All the Charges Raised Against Benjamin Naghdi Confirmed?
Based on the information published by the case lawyer, during the judicial investigations, a non-prosecution order was issued regarding some of the charges raised against Benjamin Naghdi. According to Mostafa Nili, the charges of “causing bodily harm to officers” and “carrying a cold weapon” were among the cases for which a non-prosecution order was ultimately issued and the prosecutor’s office was unable to provide sufficient reasons for judicial prosecution of these cases.
Despite this, the court evaluated the set of remaining charges in the form of the general title “corruption on earth” and issued an execution verdict.
This issue has been raised by some jurists and human rights activists as one of the controversial cases of the file.
What Has Benjamin Naghdi’s Lawyer Said?
Mostafa Nili, Benjamin Naghdi’s defense lawyer, has announced that he and his colleagues will submit a request for cassation regarding the issued ruling within the legal deadline. He has expressed hope that the Supreme Court will overturn the issued execution verdict, considering the conditions of the case and also the fact that no person suffered bodily injury during the referenced incident.
The lawyer of this prisoner has emphasized that the case is still in the legal path and there will be the possibility of re-examination of it in the Supreme Court.
What Activity Did Benjamin Naghdi Have Before His Arrest?
Benjamin Naghdi was active in the field of martial arts before his arrest and had a history of participation in various competitions in kickboxing and Muay Thai disciplines. Based on reports, he had succeeded in winning championship titles in some competitions of these disciplines and before his arrest he was known as an athlete.
The issuance of an execution verdict for him in his young years has created a lot of concern among civil activists, athletes and human rights defenders.
Human Rights Violation in Benjamin Naghdi’s Case; Concern About Fair Trial and Issuance of Execution Verdict
Benjamin Naghdi’s case from a human rights perspective is accompanied by concerns about the proportionality of punishment, the right to a fair trial and the manner of handling cases related to nationwide protests. Human rights institutions have repeatedly emphasized that the death penalty should not be used in cases where there are legal ambiguities and disagreements about the titles of charges.
Principles Violated
- Violation of the Right to Life – Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:Issuing an execution verdict directly threatens the most fundamental human right, namely the right to life.
- Violation of the Right to a Fair Trial – Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:Frequent change of charge titles and disagreement about the legal foundations of the case have created concerns about the full observance of the principles of a fair trial.
- Violation of the Principle of Proportionality of Crime and Punishment – Fundamental Principles of International Criminal Law:Issuing an execution verdict in a case that, according to the lawyer’s statements, did not lead to bodily injury to individuals, raises questions about the proportionality between the charge and the punishment.
- Violation of the Right to Effective Appeal – Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:Although the case is in the cassation stage, human rights institutions emphasize the necessity of independent and precise examination of all dimensions of the case in the Supreme Court.
See also the below articles:
- Tara and Kimia Davoudi; Heavy Sentencing of Two Protesting Sisters in Salavati Court
- Nima Arban Faces Uncertainty After Arrest in 2025-2026 Protests
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