Iran Executes Two Leftist Political PMOI Opposition Members Amid Ongoing War

In a chilling display of internal repression, the Iranian regime has executed two prominent leftist members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), a historic opposition group with roots in revolutionary Marxist and Islamic socialist ideology. On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at dawn, Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi were hanged in Qezel Hesar Prison. This came just one day after the executions of two other PMOI members, Mohammad Taghavi and Akbar Daneshvarkar, in the same facility.

Babak Alipour, 34, a law graduate, and Pouya Ghobadi, 33, an electrical engineer, were arrested in early 2024. Both had prior detentions due to their alleged ties to the PMOI. In late 2024, a Revolutionary Court sentenced them to death on charges of “baghi” (armed rebellion) and active membership in the opposition organization. These trials, widely criticized by human rights groups, often rely on coerced confessions extracted under torture.

The PMOI, founded in the 1960s by leftist Iranian students, has long blended elements of revolutionary Marxism, class struggle, and a reinterpretation of Shia Islam. Though the group has evolved, its origins as a left-wing force opposing both monarchy and theocratic rule remain central to its identity. This ideological background makes the executions particularly notable, as the regime targets leftist voices within the broader Iranian opposition.

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), strongly condemned the killings. “The brutal execution of these PMOI members reflects the clerical regime’s fear and desperation in the face of an enraged population and its growing support for the Resistance Units and the Liberation Army,” she stated. Rajavi highlighted that carrying out such executions during an external war reveals the regime’s true priorities: “Their principal enemy is the Iranian people and the Resistance.”

She warned that this “unrestrained bloodshed” would fuel further resistance. “Rebellious youth and freedom fighters” will ultimately dismantle what she called the “disgraceful, anti-human regime.” Rajavi praised the four executed men—Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Mohammad Taghavi, and Akbar Daneshvarkar—as “proud exemplars of sincerity and sacrifice” who never yielded to torture. Their names, she said, will be “etched forever in Iran’s history.”

Critics argue the regime is exploiting the ongoing regional war— involving tensions with the US and Israel—to accelerate its domestic killing spree. While global left-wing movements often criticize Western policies and show reluctance to condemn Iran, these executions expose the regime’s ruthless suppression of its own leftist opposition. The PMOI has faced decades of persecution for advocating a democratic, secular alternative to the Islamic Republic.

Human rights organizations continue to sound alarms over Iran’s soaring execution rates, especially of political prisoners. Rajavi called on the United Nations, member states, and human rights defenders to take urgent action: condemn the crimes, protect those on death row, close Iranian embassies, and expel regime diplomats linked to terrorism.