IRAN - Ehsan Hosseinipour

IRAN - Ehsan Hosseinipour Faces death sentence

April 14, 2026:

April 11, 2026 - IRAN. Ehsan Hosseinipour Faces death sentence

Ehsan Hosseinipour, one of the detainees of the nationwide protests, faces the danger of issuance of an execution sentence; while reports indicate the existence of contradictions in the case, deprivation of the right to choose a lawyer, and obtaining confessions under pressure. This case is being processed in conditions where at least 10 political prisoners have been executed since the beginning of this year.

Ehsan Hosseinipour; the accused in a case with heavy charges
Ehsan Hosseinipour Hesarlou is one of the accused in a case that has been formed in connection with the nationwide protests of December 2025 / January 2026. He, along with two other accused, Matin Ahmadi and Erfan Amiri, has been tried on charges including participation in murder, setting fire to Seyyed al-Shohada Mosque in Pakdasht, and acting against internal security.
This case has been processed in the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, and its sessions have been held in conditions where reports indicate the lack of possibility of effective defense and serious restrictions in the trial process.

Restriction in choosing a lawyer; violation of the right to defense
One of the most important points raised in this case is the deprivation of Ehsan Hosseinipour from the right to have a chosen lawyer. Amir Raeisian, a lawyer, has announced that he has been prevented from continuing his representation in this case by order of the judge of the case.
He has considered this action contrary to the Criminal Procedure Code. According to the laws, every accused has the right to choose his desired lawyer, and depriving this right can severely affect the processing process.
Limiting access to a lawyer, especially in cases with heavy charges, has increased concerns about the non-observance of principles of fair trial.

Confessions under pressure; the main axis of the case
According to the lawyer’s statements, the major part of the documents of the case against Ehsan Hosseinipour has been prepared based on confessions that he has announced were obtained from him under pressure and in abnormal conditions.
According to Raeisian, these confessions were taken while the accused was in a restrictive situation and did not have the possibility of free defense. Raising the issue of torture and pressure to obtain confessions is one of the most important axes of criticism of this case. According to published news quoted from informed sources, the agents “by putting a gun in his mouth and threatening to shoot” put Ehsan under pressure to accept responsibility for this incident and confess.
This is while no precise details of the examination of these claims in the official court process have been published.

Temporal contradictions and ambiguity in presence at the scene of the incident
Another one of the points raised in this case is the existence of serious contradictions in the timing of events. According to the lawyer’s statements, Ehsan Hosseinipour was arrested at 21:30 on 7 January 2026.
In contrast, the time of the mosque fire is announced as 22:30 on the same night. This time difference has created questions about the possibility of the accused’s presence at the scene of the incident.
Also, examining the images of cameras around the scene of the incident, according to the lawyer, does not confirm the presence of Ehsan Hosseinipour at the scene. However, these points have not been reflected in the official court reports.

Rushed courts; a concerning process
The case of Ehsan Hosseinipour is being processed in conditions where the trial process in cases related to protests is followed with high speed. According to reports, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran has issued numerous verdicts for detainees in a short period.
This process has been accompanied by the emphasis of judicial authorities on accelerating the processing of cases. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei had previously emphasized the necessity of hastening the issuance of indictments in cases related to protests.
Legal observers believe that the high speed of processing can have a negative effect on the accuracy and quality of examining the cases.

Other detainees and the similar pattern of cases
The case of Ehsan Hosseinipour is placed alongside other similar cases in which claims about confessions under pressure and inappropriate interrogation conditions have also been raised.
For example, in the case of Abolfazl Karimi, one of the other detainees, reports of interrogation in inappropriate conditions and obtaining confession under pressure have been published. Also, the case of Mohammadamin Biglari, a 19-year-old young man, had also been processed in the same branch, who was executed last week.
These cases indicate the existence of a similar pattern in the way of processing cases related to protests.

Concern about issuance of execution sentence in ambiguous conditions
The family of Ehsan Hosseinipour and other accused in this case are in a state of lack of information. These conditions, along with the heavy charges raised, have increased concerns about the possibility of issuance of an execution sentence.
In conditions where the accused have been deprived of the right to full access to a lawyer and claims about pressure to obtain confessions have been raised, it is expected that the processing process be carried out with more accuracy and transparency.

Recent executions; a background for increasing concerns
Concerns about the case of Ehsan Hosseinipour have increased while at least 10 political prisoners have been executed since the beginning of this year. This trend has affected the overall atmosphere of processing political cases and has increased sensitivities towards the issuance of similar verdicts.
The continuation of this situation has intensified concerns about the possibility of repeating such verdicts in ongoing cases.

Recent executions; a background for increasing concerns
Concerns about the case of Ehsan Hosseinipour have increased while at least 10 political prisoners have been executed since the beginning of this year. This trend has affected the overall atmosphere of processing political cases and has increased sensitivities towards the issuance of similar verdicts.
The continuation of this situation has intensified concerns about the possibility of repeating such verdicts in ongoing cases.

On Hosseinipour’s case see also HoC 19/02/2026.