Hossein Pedaran, a website design company owner, was executed in Isfahan’s Dastgerd Prison under espionage charges without transparent reporting on his trial conditions or legal representation
Iran Human Rights Society, Saturday, September 19, 2026 – A prisoner convicted on espionage charges was executed at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan.
On the morning of Saturday, September 19, 2026, Hossein Pedaran was executed in Isfahan’s Dastgerd Prison. Prior to his arrest, Pedaran operated a website design company.
The report, initially published by the official Mizan News Agency, omitted essential details regarding the timeline of his arrest, the judicial procedures of his trial, or whether he had access to independent legal counsel.
Execution: A Punishment in Direct Conflict with the Fundamental Right to Life
As the most severe criminal penalty, execution inherently conflicts with the fundamental human right to life. Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) recognizes every individual’s right to life, liberty, and security of person. The capital penalty strips this right completely and irreversibly, leaving no possibility of redress in cases of judicial error.
Execution and International Obligations
Beyond violating the right to life, the death penalty—compounded by prolonged death row conditions and psychological distress—can constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, protects the right to life and strictly restricts capital punishment to the most serious crimes, conditioned upon strict adherence to fair trial guarantees. These safeguards include:
- Access to chosen legal counsel
- Effective defense rights
- Judicial independence
- The right to appeal
In political and security-related cases, concerns are amplified due to a lack of transparency, restricted defense rights, forced confessions, and absence of independent oversight.
Information Box | Case Information at a Glance
| Subject | Details |
| Name | Hossein Pedaran |
| Profession | Owner of a website design company |
| Detention / Execution Location | Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan |
| Date of Execution | Saturday, September 19, 2026 |
| Charges | Espionage |
| Reporting Source | Mizan News Agency |
| Procedural Ambiguities | Unspecified arrest date, lack of trial transparency, unknown access to chosen lawyer |
Human Rights and International Legal Framework
Issuing and executing capital sentences under opaque judicial conditions with restricted defense guarantees violates international instruments binding state compliance.
Key Applicable International Articles & Conventions
- Article 3 (UDHR): Right to life, liberty, and security of person.
- Article 5 (UDHR): Prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Article 10 (UDHR): Right to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.
- Article 6 (ICCPR): Inherent right to life and strict limitations on capital punishment.
- Article 14 (ICCPR): Guarantee of a fair trial, adequate legal assistance, and full defense capabilities.
- UN General Assembly Resolutions: Repeated calls for a global moratorium on executions towards the complete abolition of the death penalty.
See also the below articles:
- Confirmation of Death Sentence for Omid Goudarzvand Chegini
- Metsola and Amnesty International: Prisoner Release and Justice for Nationwide Protests
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