Nasimeh Eslamzehi Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison; Denied Lawyer of Choice Amid Questions Over Evidence

Breathing in Confinement, Friday, 11 September 2026: Nasimeh Eslamzehi, a Sunni prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Nasimeh Eslamzehi was tried over three sessions before Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati. According to published information, no specific evidence demonstrating her membership, cooperation, or participation in armed activities was presented during the court proceedings.

Nasimeh Eslamzehi was arrested in September 2023 when security forces came to the family home to arrest her husband, Arsalan Sheikhi. Ms Eslamzehi was reportedly arrested solely because she was present at the home and was Arsalan Sheikhi’s wife. During the judicial proceedings, no clear evidence was presented demonstrating her direct involvement in armed activities.

Arsalan Sheikhi and Amanj Karvanchi, two other defendants in the same case, had previously been sentenced to death on the charge of “armed rebellion against the state (baghi) through membership in ISIS”, and their sentences were subsequently carried out. Nasimeh Eslamzehi, however, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in connection with the same case.

Ms Eslamzehi had previously been sentenced to three years and six months in prison by a criminal court in a separate part of the case.

During the proceedings, several lawyers sought to represent Nasimeh Eslamzehi. However, according to informed sources, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court refused to accept her chosen lawyers, and the trial proceeded with a court-appointed lawyer.

Denying a defendant access to a lawyer of their choice, particularly in security-related cases involving serious charges such as “armed rebellion against the state (baghi)”, can restrict the right to an effective defence and the ability to scrutinise and effectively challenge the evidence and documentation presented in the case. This, together with the absence of publicly available evidence demonstrating Nasimeh Eslamzehi’s direct involvement in armed activities, has heightened concerns regarding respect for the right to a fair trial and the proportionality between the allegations and the sentence imposed.

Nasimeh Eslamzehi is the mother of two daughters. Her elder daughter, Ayesha, was approximately two years old when her mother was arrested. Following Ms Eslamzehi’s arrest, the child was separated from her mother and placed in the care of the State Welfare Organisation. After pursuing the matter, however, the family was able to obtain custody and take over her care.

In late April 2024, Eslamzehi gave birth to her second daughter, Tasnim, in Evin Prison. The infant has been kept in prison with her mother since the day she was born. According to available information, Nasimeh Eslamzehi and her newborn baby spent approximately 40 days in solitary confinement under inadequate conditions, including insufficient ventilation and limited access to natural light, before being transferred to the quarantine section.