Kurdish Political Prisoner Varisheh Moradi Sentenced to Death for Second Time
Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi, a women's rights activist from Sanandaj (Sine) held in Tehran's Evin Prison, has been sentenced to death for a second time by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, her lawyers announced.
According to her lawyer Amir Sajjadi, the verdict was formally notified on 14 October 2026. The court, presided over by Judge Abolghassem Salavati, convicted Moradi of "membership in a rebel group" (baghi). The ruling can be appealed to the Supreme Court within 20 days of notification.
The new death sentence came despite the Supreme Court having previously overturned an earlier capital verdict issued in November 2024, citing serious deficiencies in the investigation. Iran Human Rights reported that the re-sentencing was issued without carrying out the investigations the Supreme Court had mandated.
Moradi, 41, is a political and women's rights activist who was arrested in August 2023 and spent five months in solitary confinement before being transferred to Evin's women's ward. She has since received added sentences for activities inside prison, including a letter marking the anniversary of the "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" (Woman, Life, Freedom) movement. She is also an honorary citizen of Poggibonsi, Italy.
On 23 October 2026, more than 400 activists urged UN officials to intervene, demanding official guarantees that the sentence will not be carried out. German MPs have also condemned the renewed death sentence and called for her immediate release. (Source: Hengaw / IranWire / IHRNGO)
