"I Wrote False Statements Out of Helplessness": The Harrowing Final Testimonies of Three Prisoners Executed in Iran

Iran’s security apparatus executed three prisoners over the past weekend at the central prison in the city of Urmia: Yaqub Karimpoor, 43; Naser Bakarzadeh, 26; and Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, 28. According to a report on "Fox News," which cites data from the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, the three left behind extraordinary testimonies exposing the regime’s methods for extracting false confessions and instilling fear.

The chilling accounts describe intense pressure and the exploitation of personal vulnerabilities. Yaqub Karimpoor, who was accused of espionage, described in a message he sent how authorities turned his family into a tool of psychological coercion. He said many statements were dictated to him in advance, and he was forced to write completely false declarations out of helplessness after direct threats were made against his wife’s safety. Naser Bakarzadeh, convicted on a similar charge, also recounted long months of total isolation and severe psychological torture intended to break his spirit before sentencing.

The third prisoner, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, was executed on Sunday after being convicted of involvement in a murder linked to the wave of protests against the regime. Abdollahzadeh vehemently denied the charges until his final moments and claimed he was chosen as a "scapegoat." He described severe physical violence, including days of prolonged beatings, until he was forced to confess to acts he did not commit.

This pattern, which includes confessions obtained under coercion, a lack of legal representation, and swift trials that do not meet international standards, has become a hallmark of Iran’s judicial system over the past year.