Sharifeh Mohammadi, a noted women’s and workers’ activist in Iran, has just had her second death sentence upheld by the country’s Supreme Court.  There are now grave fears that she is at imminent risk of execution.

On 5 December 2023, Ms. Mohammadi was arbitrarily arrested by intelligence agents and transferred to a detention centre in Rasht, Gilan province.  Three weeks later, she was secretly moved to another intelligence detention centre over 500 kilometres away in Sanandaj, Kordestan province, where she was subjected to brutal and prolonged torture.

In January 2024, Ms. Mohammadi filed a formal complaint regarding the vicious maltreatment she had endured.  However, no investigation was carried out and authorities instead moved her into isolation for over a month until her visible wounds had cleared.

Ms. Mohammadi was then warned that unless she withdrew her complaint, she would not be returned to Lakan Prison in Gilan and her family would continue to have no access to her.  Under extreme duress, she complied and was returned to Gilan.

On 4 July 2024, following a brief behind-closed-doors session of Branch 1 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court (IRC) in Rasht, at which Ms. Mohammadi appeared via video link and was refused permission to even speak, she was sentenced to death on the bogus charge of having supported “armed struggle against the state”.

The verdict cited as “evidence” her completely peaceful human rights activities, including her support for female prisoners, opposition to the death penalty, and connection with the ‘Coordinating Committee for the Establishment of Workers’ Organisations in Iran’.

During her first appeal, Branch 39 of the Supreme Court annulled the death sentence, stating that it lacked the requisite legal and religious basis.  However, in February 2025, Branch 2 of the IRC in Rasht simply issued another death sentence.  This time it was upheld by the same branch of the Supreme Court despite none of their original objections having been addressed by the IRC.

CODIR demands the immediate annulment of Sharifeh Mohammadi’s conviction and death sentence, and her unconditional release.  We also demand an independent investigation into her detention and torture, and the holding to account of the perpetrators..

Source:  Iran Today Autumn 2025, volume 37, Issue 2

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