Urgent Transfer of Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi from Karaj Central Prison to an Unknown Location

According to human‑rights sources,Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi, two political prisoners linked to the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), were abruptly transferred from Karaj Central Prison to an undisclosed location on Sunday afternoon, April 19, 2026. The sudden transfer has raised serious concerns about the imminent risk of execution.

Validi, a 45‑year‑old civil engineer, and Shahi, a 38‑year‑old technical worker, were arrested on May 13, 2025, in Tehran along with several relatives and were reportedly subjected to intense interrogation and torture.

In late September 2025, the judiciary sentenced both men to deathon charges of membership in the PMOI. However, on September 27, 2025, the Chief Justice of Alborz Province accused them of espionage related to the “12‑day war,” even though both men had been arrested at least a month before the conflict began.

Their names and case details had already been submitted to the United Nations and international human rights organisations by the Iranian opposition. Amid a recent surge in executions, rights groups are calling for urgent international intervention to prevent the execution of Validi and Shahi.