Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency, has reported the execution of Mohammad Ghobadloo, a detainee connected to the 2022 nationwide protests, in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj.
Amidst growing controversy, Amir Raisian, Ghobadloo’s lawyer, publicly disclosed yesterday that despite the Supreme Court overturning the death sentence, he was informed of the imminent execution scheduled for Tuesday, January 23.
Raisian clarified, “The death sentence (Qisas or reprisal) had been overturned by the Supreme Court, and the case was transferred to another branch (Branch 5 of the Criminal Court of Tehran), awaiting the results of forensic re-examinations for the verdict. However, after several months, the case was unexpectedly reassigned to Branch 39 following a Supreme Court directive. Now, just hours before the scheduled execution, we have been notified of this sudden development.”
Raisian strongly denounced the execution, asserting, “This execution lacks any legal basis and should be considered a case of manslaughter.”
The execution of Ghobadloo has triggered widespread condemnation on Farsi-speaking social media platforms. Concurrently, Mizan released a video featuring Ghobadloo’s coerced confessions. The judiciary’s news agency has dismissed claims that Ghobadloo suffered from major mental disorders, including bipolar disorders.
Initially sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, Ghobadloo faced charges such as “spreading corruption on earth through crimes against the physical integrity of people.” Additional allegations included “destruction of public property” and “acting against national security by causing unrest.”
During the court proceedings, Ghobadloo emphasized “being influenced by the psychological consequences resulting from the non-use of his medications on the night of the incident.” Simultaneously, the prison doctor of the Great Tehran Penitentiary and the prison supervisor confirmed the mentally precarious condition of the accused, a factor overlooked by forensic experts during the trial.