The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) announced that Arghavan Fallahi, a 25-year-old political prisoner and supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the largest Iranian opposition group, has been sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati. According to the NCRI statement, the death sentence was formally communicated to her through her lawyer on July 1. The NCRI described the ruling as “criminal” and called for immediate action by international organizations and human rights groups to prevent its implementation.
Nine Months of Uncertainty for Four Political Prisoners in Iran
According to the statement, Arghavan Fallahi was arrested by security forces in the city of Parand on January 25, 2025, and transferred to Ward 241 of Evin Prison, which is controlled by the Intelligence Protection Organization of Iran’s judiciary. The NCRI said she spent approximately five months in solitary confinement under interrogation and severe physical and psychological pressure. Following the evacuation of Evin Prison, she was first transferred to Tehran Greater Prison (Fashafouyeh) and later to the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
The NCRI also called on the United Nations, relevant international bodies, and human rights organizations to take immediate action to save the life of Arghavan Fallahi and other political prisoners sentenced to death. It also reiterated the need for an international fact-finding mission to visit Iran’s prisons and meet with political prisoners.
Background of Arghavan Fallahi’s Case
Before her latest arrest, Arghavan Fallahi had previously been detained in November 2022 along with her father, Nasrollah Fallahi, by security forces in Shiraz. After being transferred to Evin Prison, she was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to two years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the regime.” She was released after completing her sentence. In the new case, she has remained in detention since January 2025 without resolution. According to reports by human rights organizations, she has been denied access to a lawyer, regular contact with her family, and due process throughout her detention. Reports have also alleged that she was subjected to torture and pressured into making forced confessions in connection with the killings of two regime judges, Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini.
