Ehsan Fatahian was born in 1982 in Kermanshah Province, Iran. He was a young Kurdish activist who campaigned peacefully for Kurdish rights and cultural freedom. He was arrested in July 2008 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and accused of “propaganda against the regime” and “membership in a Kurdish opposition group.”
Although his initial sentence was ten years in prison, authorities later changed it to the death penalty, claiming he was an “enemy of God.” Ehsan’s lawyer said the case had no evidence and that the decision was purely political. While in prison, Ehsan was tortured and repeatedly beaten, but he refused to sign false confessions or betray others.
He was executed on 11 November 2009 in Sanandaj Central Prison, despite protests and appeals from Amnesty International and Kurdish human-rights groups. His execution shocked Kurdish communities, as it marked a new phase in Iran’s persecution of political activists.
Ehsan’s bravery inspired many others to continue his fight for justice and human rights, even after his death.
