Arrest of Family Members of a Death-Row Political Prisoner Upon Return from Prison Visit
31-January-2026
Category: Arrests
31 January 2026
News Category: Arrest –
Breathing in Confinement – Three members of the family of Babak Alipour, a political prisoner sentenced to death, were arrested by security forces while returning from a visit with him.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Omm-ol-Banin Dehghan (mother), Maryam Alipour, and Rouzbeh Alipour (sister and brother of Babak Alipour), residents of Rasht, were arrested on 27 December 2025 while returning from a visit with Babak Alipour at Ghezel Hesar Prison.
More than one month after their arrest, they have had no telephone contact or visits with their family. As of the time of publication, no official or transparent information has been provided regarding the reasons for their arrest, the charges against them, the judicial authority handling the case, their place of detention, or their physical and psychological condition. This situation is considered an instance of arbitrary detention and is incompatible with the principles of a fair trial.
The immediate disclosure of the reasons for arrest, formal notification of charges, access to legal counsel, and the ability to communicate with family are fundamental rights of detainees. Furthermore, complete isolation from the outside world may constitute a form of short-term enforced disappearance, which is prohibited under international human rights standards, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
According to published information, Rouzbeh Alipour had previously been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on charges of “insulting the Supreme Leader” and was released after completing his sentence.
Babak Alipour, aged 34, born in Amol and a graduate in law, was arrested in his third detention on charges of “armed rebellion through membership in the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization of Iran” and “propaganda against the system.” Following several stages of judicial proceedings, he was again sentenced to death in the final trial by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, along with five other political prisoners: Pouya Ghabadi Bistouni, Vahid Bani Amerian, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi, Ali-Akbar Daneshvarkar, and Seyed Abolhassan Montazer-Majd.
The arrest of relatives of political prisoners—particularly in the absence of a clear legal basis—is regarded as a means of pressure and collective punishment, a practice that stands in clear contradiction to the principle of individual criminal responsibility and the human rights obligations of the ruling authorities.