Risk of Imminent Executions Following Transfer of 14 Political Prisoners to Solitary Confinement in Isfahan Prison

Breathing in Confinement, Saturday, 18 July 2026: Fourteen political prisoners held in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan have been transferred to solitary confinement. Among them are 12 individuals arrested during the protests in January this year, whose death sentences were previously upheld by the Supreme Court and subsequently referred to the Enforcement of Judgments Branch of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court for implementation.

According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, on Saturday morning, prison officers at Dastgerd Prison transferred the 14 prisoners to solitary confinement using force. The move has heightened concerns over the possible imminent execution of 12 prisoners in the case known as the “Isfahan Alikhani Square case.”

According to available information, 12 of the prisoners transferred to solitary confinement are defendants sentenced to death in this case. Following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of their sentences, their cases were referred to the Enforcement of Judgments Branch of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court for implementation. Two other prisoners were also transferred to solitary confinement at the same time.

The 12 prisoners sentenced to death who are reportedly at risk of imminent execution are:

Alireza Sepahi, 24
Abolfazl Sepahi, 23
Ghaem Hosseini, 20
Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, 23
Shervin Bagherian, 18
Erfan Esfandiari, 18
Amirhossein Safari, 27
Amirhossein Maleki, 19
Ali Dashti, 19
Abolfazl Ebrahimi, 18
Alireza Raeisi, 21
Amirhossein Ebrahimi Analoucheh, 19

At the same time as these transfers, reports indicate that a number of prisoners in Salamat Ward 2 of Dastgerd Prison, where several political prisoners are held, have gone on hunger strike in protest against the possible implementation of the death sentences and in solidarity with the prisoners facing execution.

The “Isfahan Alikhani Square Case”

The case relates to events during the protests of 8 January in the area around Alikhani Square in Isfahan. Following the events, authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran claimed that four members of the Basij and the Special Units were killed.

Following these events, 59 people were arrested and tried as part of a joint case before Branch 1 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court. During the proceedings, 12 defendants were sentenced to death, while dozens of others received lengthy prison sentences.

Human rights organisations had previously raised concerns about the judicial proceedings in this case, reporting that the defendants had been denied effective access to lawyers of their own choosing. The hearings were also conducted within a short period of time, and some of the defendants reported being subjected to torture and forced confessions.

According to published reports, Alireza Sepahi was sentenced to death four times in this case, while Abolfazl Sepahi was sentenced to death three times. The two prisoners are cousins. In total, following confirmation by the Supreme Court, the death sentences of 12 defendants in this case were referred to the Enforcement of Judgments Branch of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court for implementation.