Death Sentences of Akbar and Mehdi Arabzadeh, Two Brothers Arrested During This January’s Protests, Upheld

Breathing in Confinement, Friday, 24 July 2026: The death sentences imposed on Akbar and Mehdi Arabzadeh, two brothers and political prisoners arrested during the nationwide protests in January this year, have been upheld by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court of Iran.

According to reporters for Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Akbar Arabzadeh, 29, and Mehdi Arabzadeh, 25, from Ziar in Isfahan Province, were arrested on 10 January and were subsequently sentenced to death by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court on charges of “enmity against God” (moharebeh). The sentences have now been confirmed by Branch 9 of the Supreme Court.

The two brothers were arrested at a mechanical workshop in the Chamran district of Isfahan and were later transferred to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. According to published reports, they were accused of “enmity against God through setting fire to a Basij building”, and the death sentences were issued primarily on the basis of testimony provided by several individuals affiliated with the Basij.

The family and relatives of Akbar and Mehdi Arabzadeh have rejected the allegations against them, describing the witness testimony presented in the case as false and unsupported by credible evidence. Reports also indicate that the two brothers were subjected to physical and psychological pressure after their arrest in an effort to extract forced confessions, and that a significant portion of the case against them was based on those alleged confessions and statements from individuals linked to the security authorities.

The judicial proceedings in their case have been marked by serious irregularities. To date, no transparent information has been made public regarding the details of the charges, the conduct of the trial, their access to independent legal counsel, or their ability to present an effective defence at different stages of the proceedings.

Human rights advocates have stressed that the issuance and confirmation of death sentences in political cases, where defendants have been denied fair trial guarantees and effective defence rights, raise serious concerns about violations of the right to a fair trial and the right to life.