Death Sentence Issued for Marzieh Ebrahimi Shamsabadi, Political Prisoner with MS in Bandar Abbas

Breathing in Confinement, Friday, 11 September 2026: Marzieh (Soda) Ebrahimi Shamsabadi, a 32-year-old political prisoner held in Bandar Abbas Central Prison who suffers from multiple medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS), has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in the city on the charge of “corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz). According to available information, the confiscation of all her assets and permanent disqualification from government and public service were also among the penalties imposed on her.

According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Marzieh Ebrahimi Shamsabadi, from Arak and a resident of Bandar Abbas, was tried on charges including “intelligence and security activities benefiting hostile governments”, “insulting the Supreme Leader”, “media and propaganda activities against national security”, and “photographing a military site”. According to the verdict, she was sentenced to death.

According to information received, one of the principal pieces of evidence cited by security and judicial authorities in the case was a photograph taken from a distance of the site where a missile had struck, which she allegedly sent to a Persian-language media outlet based outside Iran. However, the imposition of the death penalty for such allegations, given the severity and irreversible nature of the punishment, raises serious concerns regarding adherence to the principles of due process, proportionality between the alleged offence and the punishment, and the defendant’s right to a fair trial.

Marzieh Ebrahimi Shamsabadi was arrested by security forces on 29 March 2026, amid security developments related to the war, and was subsequently transferred to Bandar Abbas Central Prison. She has remained in detention since then and now faces a death sentence.

According to available information, Ebrahimi Shamsabadi has suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS) for approximately six years. In addition to MS, she suffers from psoriasis, narcolepsy (sleep attacks), and severe abdominal colic. Reports indicate that her physical condition is poor, and the presence of several concurrent illnesses further underscores the need for continuous access to specialist medical care and appropriate treatment during her imprisonment.

The situation of this political prisoner requires particular attention, as the enforcement of a death sentence against a person suffering from multiple chronic illnesses necessitates serious consideration of her medical condition and compliance with legal and human rights standards concerning the right to life, the right to health, and the prohibition of inhuman treatment.

At the time of writing, no further details have been made available regarding the judicial proceedings, whether the sentence has been appealed, her access to legal counsel, or the provision of medical care for her illnesses in prison.