A dad on death row after a sham trial in Iran has pleaded with officials to let him see his baby daughter before he is hanged.
Condemned Hassan Firouzi was seized by security police in his hometown Shahr-e Ray on October 27, accused of taking part in a street demo in Tehran during the nation's widespread protests last year.
He was released on bail but arrested again on November 26.
His infant daughter Hannaneh was only 18 days old at the time of his second arrest.
Hassan, 34, was taken into custody at Tehran's grim Evin Prison on charges of leading protests, propaganda against the state, and disturbing public security.
He was brutally tortured in jail, according to sources, with his left kidney destroyed after prison officials beat him with the leg of a chair.
While kept in solitary confinement, Hassan suffered internal bleeding, which was ignored by wardens, sources allege.
He eventually gave in and confessed under duress to being a leader of the anti-government protests.
Eventually taken to hospital on 14th December, he was later kidnapped by Revolutionary Guard intelligence agents and taken back to jail, despite needing urgent surgery.
Leaked images show how Hassan was brutally tortured in prison, with bruises on his face and body.
His neck was severely bruised apparently from being strangled with a noose in a mock hanging.
His family was threatened into silence, sources allege.
And his wife Masoumeh was arrested on 5th January, allegedly for chasing up information about him.
And now Hassan is on death row after a court in Shahr-e Rey convicted him of moharebeh (waging war against God).
In a heart-wrenching call from Evin Prison, he has asked his supporters to do whatever they can to allow him to see his baby girl one last time.
Hassan is quoted as having said: "I only have one request from the Iranian people. Do something to help me see my daughter one more time.
"Whether or not I sign confession papers, they will kill me.
"My only wish is to see my daughter one last time. After 10 years, God finally gave us a child. I only got to see her for 18 days (before being arrested for protesting).
"I miss my daughter so much. My only wish is that I get to see my daughter one last time before they kill me."
Hassan was previously detained amid the November 2019 protests.
An online petition to save him from execution had garnered 82,759 signatures at the time of reporting.
The petition, started by Shereen S., reads, in part: "Following the executions of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini on the 7th January, we are extremely worried that Hassan Firouzi's life is in extreme danger and that he could be executed at any moment."
It can be signed here.
Protests broke out in Iran on 16th September after morality police fatally beat 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini for wearing her hijab "improperly".
At least 481 protesters have been killed, while at least 109 are facing execution or death-penalty charges or sentences, according to the non-profit Iran Human Rights.
