Iran sentences two women to death over 2026 protests, rights groups say

Iranian courts have issued death sentences for two women charged over anti-government protests in January, rights groups say, as Tehran ramps up executions of people arrested in the demonstrations.

The two women were sentenced in separate cases, but both were related to incidents in the central city of Isfahan, which was a hub of the nationwide protest activity that peaked on the nights of January 8 and 9.

Against the backdrop of the war with the United States, Iran has already executed 29 men on charges related to the demonstrations, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR).

So far, no woman has been executed over the unrest, although Iran has hanged at least 16 women this year on other charges, per IHR.

Taraneh Rahimi, 20, was sentenced to death along with nine men over incidents during the protests in a square in Isfahan that saw two people killed, including a member of the security forces, the Norway-based Hengaw group and US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) say.

Other defendants in the case were given sentences of up to 36 years in prison, including Taraneh’s sister Romina, they add.

“Defendants’ lawyers did not have access to a substantial portion of the case file and objected that they had not been given sufficient time to review the documents and evidence,” HRANA says.

In the other case, Leila Abolhasani, a 43-year-old mother of two teenagers, was convicted by a court in Isfahan of setting fire to a store during the protests, the Dadban legal affairs monitor and HRANA say.

Her relatives have denied the accusation, saying she was only present at the scene and was filming the burning store, the groups say.

But she was convicted on the capital charge of “waging war against God”. The case has been sent to the Supreme Court for review.