Ali Atin and Reza Seyedi Hanged for Rape in Mahabad

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Mahabad Prison on 6th January 2025. Their identities have been established as 28-year-old Ali Atin (left photo) and 48-year-old Reza Seyedi (right photo). They were arrested for rape three years ago and sentenced to death by the Criminal Court.

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

In cases of rape, there is a high chance of defendants being tortured to make false confessions, which is used to issue death sentences. In Iran is one of the few countries in the world that issues the death penalty for rape, in breach of its international treaty obligations. A lot of cases are also rushed without the defendants having access to a lawyer.

According to the 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 20 people were executed for rape charges in 2022 compared to 23 in 2022 and 10 in 2021.