Political Prisoner Isa Chari Sentenced to Death

Breathing in Confinement, Saturday, 25 July 2026: Political prisoner Isa Chari has been sentenced to death on charges of “anti-state activities” and “affiliation with an opposition group.” He has also been abruptly transferred to solitary confinement in Qezel Hesar Prison.

According to reporters of Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Isa Chari, a political prisoner held in Qezel Hesar Prison, was sentenced to death by Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Mehdi Shahmirzadi. The charges against him included “membership in the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK)” and “anti-state activities.”

Before the sentence was issued, the Prosecutor of Qarchak County had alleged that Mr Chari was “one of the destabilising elements affiliated with groups and movements based outside the country” and had carried out activities of a security-related nature in the county. These allegations were made despite the absence of any officially published evidence or verifiable details to substantiate the claims.

Isa Chari, 37, is a poultry farm worker originally from Aq qala and a resident of Varamin. He is the father of two young children. He was recently transferred without prior notice to solitary confinement in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, raising growing concerns about his physical and psychological well-being.

He was arrested by security forces in Varamin on 7 December 2025. Reports indicate that he has spent approximately the past seven months in incommunicado detention, without contact with his family. His case has reportedly been handled in a non-transparent and closed process. His family remained unaware of his whereabouts and condition until he was transferred to Qezel Hesar Prison.

To date, no detailed information has been made public regarding his access to legal counsel of his own choosing, the manner in which his court hearings were conducted, the evidence relied upon to support the charges, or the extent to which he was able to exercise his right to an effective defence. These are fundamental elements of a fair trial, and the lack of transparency surrounding these issues has heightened human rights concerns about the case.