On May 9, 2010, Farzad Kamangar, a dedicated teacher and human rights activist, was executed alongside four fellow political prisoners—Ali Heydarian, Shirin Alam Hooli, Farhad Vakili, and Mehdi Eslamian—following a highly flawed judicial process. The executions, conducted secretly in a prison parking lot, proceeded without prior notification to their lawyers or families.

Fourteen years after these executions, the burial sites of the deceased remain undisclosed. The trials and executions faced widespread international condemnation, highlighting severe violations of legal rights, including arbitrary arrests, prolonged solitary confinement, lack of legal representation, and physical and mental torture—particularly noted in the detention facilities of Sanandaj and Kermanshah operated by the Ministry of Intelligence. Most disturbingly, at least three of the prisoners, Kamangar, Vakili, and Heydarian, were reportedly sentenced for Moharebeh (enmity against God) in a cursory seven-minute court session.

Kamangar’s lawyer has openly criticized the judiciary for its politicization, stating that the court disregarded their arguments and asserting his client’s innocence. Despite ongoing appeals from human rights organizations, Iranian authorities continue to withhold information on the locations of the graves, refusing to return the bodies to their families.

In memory of Farzad Kamangar and to honor his legacy, several teachers’ unions have marked May 9, coinciding with Teacher’s Week in Iran, as a day to celebrate the “free-minded teacher,” commemorating his commitment to education and human rights.