NEWS CENTRE – Lawyer Sidad Shirzad has warned that Mihrab Abdullahzade, who was arrested during the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” protests and whose death sentence has been upheld, is now at serious risk of execution.

 

In a post on X, Shirzad said that Abdullahzade’s death sentence, which was confirmed in December 2025, places him in imminent danger. Abdullahzade was detained during the protests that erupted following the killing of Kurdish woman Jina Amini.

 

Shirzad stated: “Mihrab Abdullahzade faces a serious and imminent risk of execution. A request for retrial submitted on 19 December was rejected by Branch 39 of the Court on 27 February. Despite another retrial request filed on 18 February, Branch 39 has refused to issue an order suspending the implementation of the sentence.”

 

WHAT HAPPENED?

 

Mihrab Abdullahzade was arrested in the autumn of 2022 for allegedly participating in the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” protests that began after Kurdish woman Jina Amini was killed in August 2022 by Iran’s so-called morality police.

 

Following his detention, Abdullahzade was transferred to Urmia Central Prison. He was tried by Branch 1 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Necefzade, and sentenced to death on charges of “Baghi” — membership in armed groups opposing the Islamic government.

 

He was also accused of involvement in the killing of a member of the Basij forces affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In December 2025, Iran’s Supreme Court, Branch 9, upheld the death sentence. The ruling was formally communicated to Abdullahzade on 18 December 2025.

 

After the confirmation of the sentence, human rights defenders from Rojhilat called for urgent action to prevent his execution.