Torture of Four Political Prisoners in the Case of Two Former Judges’ Deaths
6-July-2025
Category: Prisoners
5 July 2025
News Category: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement – Four political prisoners — Arghavan Fallahi, Bijan Kazemi, Mohammad Akbari Monfared, and Amirhossein Akbari Monfared — have been placed under extreme pressure and repeatedly subjected to torture and mistreatment by security forces in connection with a case known as the “Death Case,” relating to the deaths of two former judges, Moghiseh and Razini.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, the continued detention and torture of these four political prisoners are aimed at linking them to the so-called “Death of Two Judges Case.” The four individuals are being held without access to independent legal counsel and are undergoing intense interrogations under conditions that do not meet legal standards.
They were arrested by security agencies on suspicion of involvement in the deaths of former judges Mohammad Moghiseh and Hossein-Ali Razini. Their families have expressed serious concern over their unknown status and harsh conditions of detention.
Details of Arrests
• Arghavan Fallahi, 25, was arrested in February 2025 and held in solitary confinement in Evin Prison for months under intense interrogation. She had previously been arrested in 2022 along with her father and brother and was sentenced to four years in prison. Reports indicate she remains in solitary confinement and is facing physical and psychological pressure to extract a confession.
• Bijan Kazemi, 44, was arrested on 22 January 2025 in Kuhdasht and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Intelligence. He has been accused of supplying weapons to the alleged attackers of the two judges, an allegation for which no credible evidence has been provided. It is reported that after an airstrike on Evin Prison, he was moved to solitary confinement in Fashafouyeh Prison. According to a post by his mother, he is now being held in one of the “safe houses” — secret locations completely hidden from the official oversight of the judiciary.
• Amirhossein Akbari Monfared, 22, a resident of Karaj, was arrested on 19 January 2025 during a raid by security forces on his family home. One day later, his father, Mohammad Akbari Monfared, a political prisoner from the 1980s, was also arrested. Their whereabouts remain unknown, and their family is deeply concerned over the lack of information and ongoing uncertainty.
The Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran has called on all human rights organisations and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to intervene in the situation of these political prisoners, demanding an immediate end to torture, access to independent legal counsel, and the holding of fair and transparent trials for the accused.