Ramin Zela and Karim Maroufpoor, two Kurdish citizens from Naghadeh in West Azerbaijan Province, were secretly executed in Naghadeh Prison at dawn on 21 May 2026. Both men had been sentenced to death in a joint security case on charges of “baghy”, meaning armed rebellion, through alleged membership in or cooperation with the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI).
Their executions were carried out without prior notification to their families and without granting them the right to a final visit. The secret implementation of the death sentences has raised serious concerns about due process, transparency, and the treatment of Kurdish political and security prisoners in Iran.
Ramin Zela was arrested on 22 July 2024. After nearly 500 days of judicial limbo, he was sentenced to death in a trial that reportedly lasted only a few minutes. According to available reports, he did not have effective access to a lawyer during the legal process, raising further concerns about the fairness of the proceedings and the use of security-related charges in politically sensitive cases.
Karim Maroufpoor had been in detention since 23 March 2021. Initial reports described his arrest as taking place without a judicial warrant and accompanied by physical assault. His family was also reportedly left without information about his whereabouts after his arrest, a pattern often seen in cases involving security detainees and political prisoners.
The case of Ramin Zela and Karim Maroufpoor reflects broader concerns regarding the use of the death penalty against Kurdish prisoners in Iran, particularly in cases involving vague security charges, lack of transparent legal proceedings, denial of effective legal representation, and pressure on families. Their secret executions in Naghadeh Prison highlight the urgent need for international attention to the situation of Kurdish political prisoners and prisoners facing execution in Iran.
Ramin Zela and Karim Maroufpoor’s executions are not only individual tragedies; they are part of a wider pattern of repression, secrecy, and the use of capital punishment against marginalized communities and political dissent.
Related reading: Read more about Kurdistan’s tradition of civil resistance and how general strikes have shaped Kurdish political resistance.
