Iran | Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence For Teacher

The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of Alireza Mordasi, an imprisoned teacher held in Ahvaz’s Sheiban Prison. He was arrested on or around August 1, 2023, in Ahvaz by security forces. He was transferred to Sheiban Prison (also spelled Sheyban) in Ahvaz, where he remains.

Mordasi was arrested alongside others as part of a larger case. State media claimed the group had links to the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK, an exiled opposition group) and planned "disruptive operations" or "terrorist" activities in provinces including Khuzestan.

Human rights groups report he and co-defendants were held incommunicado, subjected to severe torture to extract confessions, denied access to a lawyer of their choice, and reportedly unrepresented at trial. He has also faced denial of adequate medical care (he suffers from respiratory issues and severe allergies).

The charges, issued by Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court under Judge Adibimehr, are typical heavy national security accusations used in political cases in Iran: Efsad fil-arz ("corruption on earth") — a capital charge that can carry the death penalty, Baghy (armed rebellion/rebellion against the state) via alleged membership in opposition/armed rebel groups. Additional related charges in some reports include moharebeh (waging war against God), supporting the PMOI/MEK, assembly and collusion against national security.

Regarding this matter, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations wrote that Alireza Mordasi, who has been active in the field of education for years, had previously been sentenced alongside two other co-defendants by Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Adibimehr, to two death sentences and one year in prison on charges of “corruption on Earth,” “membership in armed rebel groups,” and “propaganda against the regime.”

In this regard, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations, while “condemning the atmosphere of intimidation, suppression, and execution, particularly following the war,” demanded a “halt to the issuance and implementation of death sentences.”

Expressing deep concern over the potential execution of individuals currently on death row, including the imprisoned teacher Alireza Mordasi, the council called upon all opponents of the death penalty to unite with one voice in an effort to revoke the ongoing executions.

As of the latest reports (early June 2026), the death sentences have been upheld, placing him at risk of execution.

In recent months, the implementation rate of death sentences in Iran has faced heightened scrutiny from media outlets and human rights organizations. Human rights activists and certain international bodies have warned against what they describe as a “worrying surge in executions” in Iran, demanding a halt to or a review of these verdicts.

In a related context, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International as well as UN-affiliated entities, have repeatedly expressed grave concern regarding the judicial processes in security-related cases and the extent of the use of the death penalty in Iran. According to these organizations, transparency in trial proceedings and adherence to fair trial standards remain key areas of criticism.

Source: iranwire.com, Staff, June 4, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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