According to information received by the Hana Organization for Human Rights, death sentences have been issued against five athletes detained in connection with the January Protests. The finalization of some of these sentences has increased the likelihood of their being carried out, placing the lives of the condemned at imminent and irreparable risk.
The condemned are: Ali Pishevarzadeh, 28, a former swimming and water polo athlete; Maryam Hodavand, 42, a mountaineer; Ehsan Khodadadi, 31, a wrestler; Benyamin Naghdi, 26, a kickboxing and Muay Thai champion; and Ehsan Hosseinipour Hesarlou, 19, a footballer.
Reports received indicate that the handling of these individuals’ cases has been accompanied by serious allegations of torture, the extraction of forced confessions, denial of effective access to counsel, and violations of the right to a defense. In cases carrying the death penalty, full compliance with fair trial guarantees is mandatory. A court’s reliance on statements obtained under torture, or in circumstances lacking effective access to counsel, strips the resulting verdict of the validity of an independent judicial process.