Femena is deeply alarmed by the death sentences issued against two women, Leila Abolhasani and Taraneh Rahimi, who were arrested in connection with the January 2026 nationwide protests in Iran. The two cases raise serious concerns over violations of due process, restrictions on access to an effective legal defense, and the Iranian authorities’ increasing use of the death penalty against protesters.
Leila Abolhasani, a 43-year-old mother of two teenage daughters, has been sentenced to death by Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court on the charge of moharebeh (“enmity against God”). Her case is currently under review by Iran’s Supreme Court.
Taraneh Rahimi, a 20-year-old protester arrested in Isfahan, has also been sentenced to death alongside several other defendants in a joint case known as the “Isfahan Shohada Square case.” Her twin sister, Romina Rahimi, who is a defendant in the same case, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
These sentences come amid an intensified use of capital punishment and severe prison sentences against those detained in connection with the January protests. Femena is particularly concerned that death sentences are being imposed in proceedings marked by serious questions about defendants’ access to legal representation and their ability to effectively challenge the evidence against them.
Leila Abolhasani: Facing Execution for Alleged “Moharebeh”
Leila Abolhasani was arrested in Shahin Shahr, Isfahan Province, on January 8, 2026, amid widespread anti-government protests. She was subsequently transferred to Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan, where she has now been detained for more than seven months.
The principal charge against her is moharebeh, an offense that can carry the death penalty under Iranian law.
According to information concerning her case, authorities have alleged that Abolhasani participated in setting fire to a branch of the Ofogh Kourosh chain store during the protests. Her relatives strongly reject this allegation.
According to those close to her, Abolhasani was present at the scene while the store was already burning but was filming the fire and did not participate in setting it. They maintain that she was arrested solely because she was present at the scene and recording what was happening.
Her case was heard in May 2026 before Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Vahid Hemmatnejad, which sentenced her to death.
The sentence has been appealed and her case is currently before the Supreme Court.
Taraneh Rahimi: Death Sentence in the “Shohada Square” Case
Twenty-year-old Taraneh Rahimi was arrested in connection with the January protests in Isfahan and prosecuted alongside nine other defendants in a joint case commonly referred to as the “Shohada Square case.”
Taraneh has reportedly been sentenced to death, while her twin sister, Romina Rahimi, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The proceedings have been accompanied by serious concerns regarding the defendants’ right to a fair trial.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), defense lawyers were not granted adequate access to substantial portions of the case file before the court hearing and were therefore unable to fully examine the documents and evidence against their clients.
The lawyers reportedly objected to these restrictions and requested sufficient time to review the case materials before a verdict was issued.
A source close to the families of several defendants told HRANA that the lawyers’ access to the case had been restricted and that they had been unable to review all the available documents and evidence before the hearing.
The case relates to events around Shohada Square in Isfahan during the January 2026 protests, where two people were killed. One of those killed was reportedly a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while the other was described as a homeless civilian.
However, according to information obtained by HRANA, the indictment against the defendants does not contain specific murder charges in relation to either death. Instead, the proceedings have focused on charges including moharebeh, destruction of public property, “assembly and collusion,” and “propaganda against the system.”
There are also serious concerns regarding Taraneh Rahimi’s health in detention. Reports indicate that she has suffered significant injuries to her leg and knee and is experiencing serious respiratory problems, yet has been denied transfer to a hospital and access to specialized medical treatment.
Death Penalty as a Tool of Repression
The death sentences against Leila Abolhasani and Taraneh Rahimi cannot be viewed in isolation. They are part of the Iranian authorities’ broader response to the January 2026 protests, during which thousands of protesters were arrested across the country and many have subsequently faced prosecution on vaguely defined national-security charges.
The use of moharebeh and other capital offenses against protesters is particularly alarming when defendants face proceedings that fail to meet fundamental standards of due process and fair trial.
The death penalty is irreversible. When imposed following proceedings in which lawyers have been denied meaningful access to case files, defendants have been unable to effectively challenge evidence, or allegations remain seriously contested, the consequences of these violations can be fatal.
The cases of Abolhasani and Rahimi also highlight the particular impact of the ongoing repression on women who participated in or were arrested in connection with the January protests. Women who have continued to demand political and social change in the aftermath of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement are facing arrest, lengthy imprisonment, and now, in these cases, the threat of execution.
Femena strongly condemns the death sentences imposed on Leila Abolhasani and Taraneh Rahimi and calls on the Iranian authorities to:
- Immediately overturn the death sentences against Leila Abolhasani and Taraneh Rahimi and halt any steps toward their executions;
- Ensure that both women, and all defendants prosecuted in connection with the January 2026 protests, receive proceedings that fully comply with international fair-trial standards, including meaningful and timely access to lawyers of their choosing and to all evidence used against them;
- Provide Taraneh Rahimi with immediate access to appropriate and specialized medical treatment, including transfer to an outside hospital where medically necessary;
- End the use of moharebeh and other vaguely defined national-security charges to impose the death penalty on protesters and political detainees;
- Establish an immediate moratorium on executions, with a view toward the complete abolition of the death penalty.
Femena also urges the international community, UN human rights mechanisms, and governments engaged with Iran to urgently raise the cases of Leila Abolhasani and Taraneh Rahimi and press Iranian authorities to prevent their executions.