Ali Abdollahzadeh, the brother of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh—a political prisoner sentenced to death—has released a video appealing to human rights activists and legal experts to help raise his brother’s voice before it is too late.
In the video, he states that Mehrab was neither a political activist nor a member of any group. Mehrab was arrested because demonstrations took place near his home and the barbershop where he worked during the nationwide protests of 2022. Mehrab was detained after 40 days.
During those days, a Basij member lost his life amid the protests. In Mehrab Abdollahzadeh’s case, he was charged with corruption on earth through alleged participation in the killing of that Basij member and sentenced to death.
However, the medical examiner report states that the cause of death was the result of multiple blows inflicted from different directions, involving around 50 people, and that the death cannot be attributed to a single individual. The medical examiner report also explicitly notes that pellets belonging to law enforcement forces were found in the victim’s body.
The only evidence against Mehrab Abdollahzadeh is an initial confession extracted under torture during detention. Since then, under all circumstances, he has consistently maintained that he did not commit the killing and has rejected the charges.
The court also rejected requests by his lawyers to conduct mobile phone location tracking and to review CCTV footage from around the scene of the incident. Ali Abdollahzadeh says authorities told them to obtain the consent of the deceased Basij member’s family. Although the family had verbally expressed consent at the time, they are now refusing to provide written consent under the current conditions.
At the same time, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh’s parents have released a video appeal asking for help to prevent their son’s execution. They say Mehrab has been imprisoned for four years despite his innocence, and that the family had been waiting every day for his release. His lawyers had told them he was innocent and that the verdict would be overturned, but the verdict has now been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a resident of Urmia born in 1997, was arrested at his workplace on October 22, 2022, by the IRGC intelligence in Urmia during the nationwide Woman, Life, Freedom protests. He was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture for 38 days. During this period, he was denied visitation rights and access to a lawyer.
In October 2024, Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia sentenced him to death on charges of corruption on earth through alleged participation in the killing of a Basij member. On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the confirmation of his death sentence by the Supreme Court was officially communicated to him—raising serious concerns about his possible imminent execution.
@iranhrdc
#Mehrab_Abdollahzadeh
#NoToExecution
#IranHumanRights
#HumanRights
#Iran
In the video, he states that Mehrab was neither a political activist nor a member of any group. Mehrab was arrested because demonstrations took place near his home and the barbershop where he worked during the nationwide protests of 2022. Mehrab was detained after 40 days.
During those days, a Basij member lost his life amid the protests. In Mehrab Abdollahzadeh’s case, he was charged with corruption on earth through alleged participation in the killing of that Basij member and sentenced to death.
However, the medical examiner report states that the cause of death was the result of multiple blows inflicted from different directions, involving around 50 people, and that the death cannot be attributed to a single individual. The medical examiner report also explicitly notes that pellets belonging to law enforcement forces were found in the victim’s body.
The only evidence against Mehrab Abdollahzadeh is an initial confession extracted under torture during detention. Since then, under all circumstances, he has consistently maintained that he did not commit the killing and has rejected the charges.
The court also rejected requests by his lawyers to conduct mobile phone location tracking and to review CCTV footage from around the scene of the incident. Ali Abdollahzadeh says authorities told them to obtain the consent of the deceased Basij member’s family. Although the family had verbally expressed consent at the time, they are now refusing to provide written consent under the current conditions.
At the same time, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh’s parents have released a video appeal asking for help to prevent their son’s execution. They say Mehrab has been imprisoned for four years despite his innocence, and that the family had been waiting every day for his release. His lawyers had told them he was innocent and that the verdict would be overturned, but the verdict has now been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, a resident of Urmia born in 1997, was arrested at his workplace on October 22, 2022, by the IRGC intelligence in Urmia during the nationwide Woman, Life, Freedom protests. He was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture for 38 days. During this period, he was denied visitation rights and access to a lawyer.
In October 2024, Branch One of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia sentenced him to death on charges of corruption on earth through alleged participation in the killing of a Basij member. On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the confirmation of his death sentence by the Supreme Court was officially communicated to him—raising serious concerns about his possible imminent execution.
@iranhrdc
#Mehrab_Abdollahzadeh
#NoToExecution
#IranHumanRights
#HumanRights
#Iran
The Berkeley Protocol is now available in Persian. For the first time, IHRDC has published a complete Persian translation of the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations — including all five annexes — helping Persian-speaking researchers, human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers document and verify digital evidence.
Read the full press release here:
https://iranhrdc.org/iran-human-rights-documentation-center-publishes-persian-translation-of-the-berkeley-protocol/
@iranhrdc
#BerkeleyProtocol
#IranHumanRights
#OSINT
Read the full press release here:
https://iranhrdc.org/iran-human-rights-documentation-center-publishes-persian-translation-of-the-berkeley-protocol/
@iranhrdc
#BerkeleyProtocol
#IranHumanRights
#OSINT
Ten people. Ten real stories. All imprisoned over debt—construction loans, bounced cheques, unpaid mehriyeh—under laws that jail people for being unable to pay, collected and documented by IHRDC.
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 01 — Rana (pseudonym)
Cement prices rose tenfold overnight. His construction project collapsed. He's been in prison since 2021 — not for fraud, but for a debt hyperinflation created.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Rana's full account here:
🔗 iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-rana
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
#Inflation
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 01 — Rana (pseudonym)
Cement prices rose tenfold overnight. His construction project collapsed. He's been in prison since 2021 — not for fraud, but for a debt hyperinflation created.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Rana's full account here:
🔗 iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-rana
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
#Inflation
Ten people. Ten real stories. All imprisoned over debt—construction loans, bounced cheques, unpaid mehriyeh—under laws that jail people for being unable to pay, collected and documented by IHRDC.
Read the full testimonies here.
Case 02 — Maryam (pseudonym)
Her father built a successful export business. One uninsured shipment ended it and the friends who'd invested in him had him imprisoned. The family went from a large home to a 50-square-meter flat.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Maryam's full account here.
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
#Inflation
Read the full testimonies here.
Case 02 — Maryam (pseudonym)
Her father built a successful export business. One uninsured shipment ended it and the friends who'd invested in him had him imprisoned. The family went from a large home to a 50-square-meter flat.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Maryam's full account here.
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
#Inflation
Babak Zeinali, Sahba Taef, Fouad Taefi, Shervin Shabrokh, and Ali Bagherkashi, five Baha’i residents of Karaj, have been arrested to serve prison sentences of one year each.
According to information received, the five were taken into custody on Monday morning, August 31, 2026, after appearing at the Shahriar Revolutionary Court in response to summonses. Their case stems from their arrest at Babak Zeynali’s home in the Mehrshahr neighborhood of Karaj on November 7, 2023.
They faced charges under Article 500 bis of the Islamic Penal Code, including disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic and “engaging in deviant educational and promotional activities contrary to or disruptive of Islamic law.” Zeinali had previously been arrested and convicted because of his Baha’i faith.
According to the report, the five were initially expected to be transferred to Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary. Instead, they were held at the Shahriar detention center, and it was subsequently announced that they would be transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison. At the time of writing, that transfer had not been confirmed, and no precise information was available about their current circumstances.
@iranhrdc
#Babak_Zeinali
#Sahba_Taef
#Fouad_Taefi
#Shervin_Shabrokh
#Ali_Bagherkashi
#bahaisofiran
#ourstoryisone
#iranhumanrights
According to information received, the five were taken into custody on Monday morning, August 31, 2026, after appearing at the Shahriar Revolutionary Court in response to summonses. Their case stems from their arrest at Babak Zeynali’s home in the Mehrshahr neighborhood of Karaj on November 7, 2023.
They faced charges under Article 500 bis of the Islamic Penal Code, including disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic and “engaging in deviant educational and promotional activities contrary to or disruptive of Islamic law.” Zeinali had previously been arrested and convicted because of his Baha’i faith.
According to the report, the five were initially expected to be transferred to Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary. Instead, they were held at the Shahriar detention center, and it was subsequently announced that they would be transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison. At the time of writing, that transfer had not been confirmed, and no precise information was available about their current circumstances.
@iranhrdc
#Babak_Zeinali
#Sahba_Taef
#Fouad_Taefi
#Shervin_Shabrokh
#Ali_Bagherkashi
#bahaisofiran
#ourstoryisone
#iranhumanrights
Ten people. Ten real stories. All imprisoned over debt—construction loans, bounced cheques, unpaid mehriyeh—under laws that jail people for being unable to pay, collected and documented by IHRDC.
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 03 — Nasim (Pseudonym)
I built my woodworking shop with my own hands. A family friend I trusted like a younger brother colluded with a loan shark and, without my knowledge, put the current date on a blank cheque I’d signed and given him for emergency purchases, landing me in prison. There, I wrote legal defense statements for other women. One of my cellmates told me, “Your bunk looks like a political prisoner’s.”
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Nasim's full account here:
🔗 iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-nasim
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 03 — Nasim (Pseudonym)
I built my woodworking shop with my own hands. A family friend I trusted like a younger brother colluded with a loan shark and, without my knowledge, put the current date on a blank cheque I’d signed and given him for emergency purchases, landing me in prison. There, I wrote legal defense statements for other women. One of my cellmates told me, “Your bunk looks like a political prisoner’s.”
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Nasim's full account here:
🔗 iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-nasim
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
Ten people. Ten real stories. All imprisoned over debt—construction loans, bounced cheques, unpaid mehriyeh—under laws that jail people for being unable to pay, collected and documented by IHRDC.
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 04 — Reza (Pseudonym)
“I ran a poultry and meat distribution business. When I went bankrupt, I had to close the shop, and creditors kept filing complaints. As soon as I paid one off, another would file a complaint. At first, my wife hadn’t planned to leave me, but under pressure from her family, she left and took legal action to collect the 72 gold coins owed under our marriage settlement (mehriyeh). I spent three months in prison before my relatives took out loans to secure my release. I’m still paying installments on the marriage settlement alongside child support for my daughter, and I’m two gold coins behind on the payments.”
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Reza's full account here:
🔗 iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-reza
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 04 — Reza (Pseudonym)
“I ran a poultry and meat distribution business. When I went bankrupt, I had to close the shop, and creditors kept filing complaints. As soon as I paid one off, another would file a complaint. At first, my wife hadn’t planned to leave me, but under pressure from her family, she left and took legal action to collect the 72 gold coins owed under our marriage settlement (mehriyeh). I spent three months in prison before my relatives took out loans to secure my release. I’m still paying installments on the marriage settlement alongside child support for my daughter, and I’m two gold coins behind on the payments.”
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Reza's full account here:
🔗 iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-reza
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
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Ten people. Ten real stories. All imprisoned over debt—construction loans, bounced cheques, unpaid mehriyeh—under laws that jail people for being unable to pay, collected and documented by IHRDC.
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 05 - Joker (pseudonym)
The mother of Joker's late wife pursued a claim of about 400 gold coins in mehriyeh. His car was seized and he was sent to prison for a time. Now she has set her sights on his apartment to collect the mehriyeh.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Joker's full account here:
🔗 https://iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-joker/
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 05 - Joker (pseudonym)
The mother of Joker's late wife pursued a claim of about 400 gold coins in mehriyeh. His car was seized and he was sent to prison for a time. Now she has set her sights on his apartment to collect the mehriyeh.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Joker's full account here:
🔗 https://iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-joker/
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
This media is not supported in your browser
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Ten people. Ten real stories. All imprisoned over debt—construction loans, bounced cheques, unpaid mehriyeh—under laws that jail people for being unable to pay, collected and documented by IHRDC.
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 06 - Hossein (pseudonym)
He survived a carbon monoxide leak at home but lost his wife and child. He is now in prison over the diyah and mahr owed following his wife’s death.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Hossein's full account here:
🔗 https://iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-hossein/
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice
https://iranhrdc.org/category/english/publications/witness-testimony/
Case 06 - Hossein (pseudonym)
He survived a carbon monoxide leak at home but lost his wife and child. He is now in prison over the diyah and mahr owed following his wife’s death.
This is one of ten real testimonies we're publishing on debtor imprisonment in Iran. Read Hossein's full account here:
🔗 https://iranhrdc.org/witness-statement-of-hossein/
@iranhrdc
#Iran
#HumanRights
#IranHumanRights
#Debtorsimprisonment #WitnessTestimony
#IHRDC
#EconomicJustice