Politics
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a human rights organization, has warned that at least eight women in prisons across Iran are facing the death penalty, including four whose cases are linked to nationwide protests held in January.
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a human rights organization, has warned that at least eight women in prisons across Iran are facing the death penalty, including four whose cases are linked to nationwide protests held in January. According to the organization, the women have been sentenced in various political, security-related, and protest-related cases. The charges against them include offenses such as “armed rebellion,” “moharebeh” (enmity against God), and “corruption on Earth,” which can carry the death penalty under Iranian law.
The women sentenced to death in connection with the January protests include Maryam Hadavand, Mahnaz Chardouli, Leila Abolhasani, and Taraneh Rahimi. Forty-five-year-old Maryam Haddavand, a mother of two, was arrested following incidents in Pakdasht, southeast of Tehran, on January 8. Meanwhile, other human rights organizations have also expressed concern over the growing use of the death penalty against protesters in Iran. According to Human Rights Watch, 29 people were executed between March and August 2026 in cases related to the recent protests, while several others remain at risk of execution.
Recent reports have also highlighted an increase in executions and other sentences against women in Iran. According to the human rights organization Hengaw, six women were executed in Iran in August, while several others, including Taraneh Rahimi, have been sentenced to imprisonment or death. Human rights groups say questions have also been raised over transparent judicial proceedings, access to legal representation, and fair trials in cases and sentences related to the protests. Iranian authorities have not yet issued a detailed response regarding the cases of the eight women specifically named in the reports.
