Nasser Bakrzadeh, a political prisoner held in Urmia, after three issuances of a death sentence in an ambiguous case with the charge of “espionage,” has been placed on the verge of execution of the sentence; sources report torture, forced confessions, and serious flaws in the trial process.
Iran Human Rights Society- Sunday, April 26, 2026 – With the confirmation of Nasser Bakrzadeh’s death sentence by the Supreme Court of the country, the danger of imminent execution of the sentence for this political prisoner has seriously increased. Nasser Bakrzadeh, who had previously been sentenced to death twice more in the same case, now faces the death sentence for the third time; this in circumstances where legal sources and his relatives report torture, forced confessions, and repeated violations of the principles of fair trial in his case.
Official Notification of the Death Sentence to Nasser Bakrzadeh
According to published reports, Nasser Bakrzadeh on Saturday, April 25, 2026, was summoned to the office of execution of sentences at Urmia Central Prison and the confirmation of his death sentence by the Supreme Court was officially notified to him. This sentence has been notified to him in circumstances where simultaneously the process of execution of death sentences in political and security cases in the country has intensified and concerns about the swift and unannounced execution of death sentences have increased.
The Third Death Sentence in Less Than Two Years
Branch Two of the Urmia Revolutionary Court in January 2026, presided over by Judge Shahini, once again sentenced Nasser Bakrzadeh to death on the charge of “espionage for Israel.” This is the third death sentence issued against him in less than the past two years; a rare matter that by itself raises serious questions about the quality and coherence of the judicial process in the case.
The Two Previous Sentences Were Overturned by the Supreme Court
Nasser Bakrzadeh’s case had previously also led to the issuance of a death sentence twice, but both sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court of the country. The first time in October/November 2024, Branch Three of the Urmia Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death, but this sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court in March/April 2025. The second time also in August/September 2024, Branch Two of the Revolutionary Court once again issued a death sentence, which was also overturned by the Supreme Court in October/November 2024. Repeated overturning of sentences in the country’s highest judicial authority indicates the existence of fundamental and basic flaws in the case and the process of handling it.
Arrest and Transfer to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center
Nasser Bakrzadeh was first arrested in July/August 2023 by IRGC intelligence forces in Urmia and after some time was released on bail. However, in December 2023/January 2024 he was arrested again and transferred to the Urmia IRGC intelligence detention center; a place where, according to sources close to his family, he was subjected to intensive interrogations and severe security conditions for a long period.
Torture and Forced Confessions; the Main Axis of the Case
Informed sources say that Nasser Bakrzadeh during the period of detention was subjected to physical and psychological torture and interrogators tried to extract confessions matching the security scenario from him through pressure and threats. According to his relatives, he repeatedly faced threats of intensification of punishment, deprivation of visits, and pressure on the family. Based on these same reports, the confessions obtained under these conditions have been used as the main basis for issuing death sentences against him.
Deprivation of Defense Rights and Ambiguity in the Court Process
Legal observers emphasize that the process of handling Nasser Bakrzadeh’s case has had a serious distance from the standards of fair trial. According to informed sources, in the sensitive stages of the case he has been deprived of complete and effective access to defense facilities and has not had the possibility of using the necessary tools for his legal defense. Also, the repeated issuance of the death sentence after successive overturnings in the Supreme Court has created this question of whether the courts of first instance have really resolved the flaws of the case or have merely moved in the path of repeating the previous decision.
Increase in Concerns Simultaneously with the Intensification of Political Executions
The confirmation of Nasser Bakrzadeh’s death sentence takes place while in recent months a new wave of execution of death sentences in political and security cases has begun. Human rights activists warn that with the intensification of the process of executing political prisoners, the danger of swift and unannounced execution of Nasser Bakrzadeh’s sentence has also increased.
A Symbolic Case of the Crisis in Judicial Justice
Nasser Bakrzadeh’s case has now become one of the prominent examples of criticism of the performance of the judicial apparatus in security cases; a case in which one defendant has been sentenced to death three times, the sentence has been overturned twice in the Supreme Court, and nevertheless the same punishment has been issued against him again. Critics say this process indicates structural weakness in judicial proceedings and the dominance of the security outlook over criminal justice.
Nasser Bakrzadeh’s Case; Repeated Violation of Fair Trial and Prohibition of Torture
The process of handling Nasser Bakrzadeh’s case includes a set of serious violations of fundamental rights.
Violated Articles:
Violation of the Prohibition of Torture – Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Torture and pressure to extract confessions are prohibited and lack legal validity.
Violation of the Right to Fair Trial – Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Deprivation of effective defense facilities and repetition of flawed trial processes corrupts justice.
Violation of the Principle of Presumption of Innocence – Article 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Reliance of the case on confessions obtained under pressure violates the principle of presumption of innocence.
Violation of the Right to Life – Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Execution of the death sentence in a case with ambiguities and fundamental flaws threatens the fundamental right to life.
See also the below articles:
- Death Sentences Confirmed for Ehsan Hosseini Pour, Matin Mohammadi and Erfan Amiri
- Erfan Kiani Executed in Isfahan; Ambiguity in Trial and Rising Death Sentences Against Protest Detainees
Follow Iran Human Rights Society on social networks:
Telegram /Twitter /Instagram / YouTube / Facebook
Join Iran Human Rights Society on Twitter
