24-Year-Old Political Prisoner Sentenced to Death in Iran Over ‘Baghi’ Charge

Arghavan Fallahi, a 24-year-old political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, on charges of Baghi (armed rebellion against the Islamic state).

HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, reported the news, noting that Fallahi’s death sentence was issued based on Article 287 of the Islamic Penal Code, citing charges of “armed rebellion through membership in opposition groups and armed action.”

Fallahi was arrested alongside several other political co-defendants in a joint case. Security agencies of the Islamic Republic have accused her of membership in anti-regime opposition groups. However, human rights organizations state that she has denied all charges, and her judicial proceedings were marred by highly restricted access to legal counsel and closed-door hearings.

The capital sentence was handed down by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, led by Abolghasem Salavati. Over the past decades, Salavati has issued numerous severe sentences, including executions and lengthy prison terms, against political activists, protesters, journalists, and dual nationals. He is currently sanctioned by the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom for his direct role in systematic human rights violations.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly sounded the alarm over the Islamic Republic’s routine use of vague theological charges such as Baghi (armed rebellion) and Moharebeh (enmity against God) to secure death penalties against dissidents and political prisoners.

According to HRANA, this is a preliminary verdict, and Fallahi retains the right to appeal the sentence before the Supreme Court of Iran.