December Protests – Mohammad Abbasi sentenced to death, daughter Fatemeh Abbasi to 25 years in prison
Hengaw – Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Mohammad Abbasi and his daughter, Fatemeh Abbasi, who were arrested during the December protests in Malard, Tehran province, have been sentenced to death and 25 years’ imprisonment, respectively, by the Iranian judiciary.
According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, sentenced 55-year-old Mohammad Abbasi to death. He was convicted on charges of “direct involvement and collaboration with Israel and the United States” as well as the killing of a police officer.
Fatemeh Abbasi, 34, a mother of a 13-year-old girl, was convicted by the same court of “assisting in the aforementioned charges” and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The case has been referred to Branch 39 of the Supreme Court for review.
The father and daughter were prosecuted in connection with the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Shahin Dehghani Kakavandi during protests in Malard on January 6, 2026. Prosecutors accused them of involvement in the officer’s death that same day. However, according to defense sources, video evidence presented during the trial showed no indication that either of them was present at the scene.
Ali Sharifzadeh Ardekani, one of the defense attorneys, stated that Branch 39 of the Supreme Court refused to accept his formal declaration of representation, citing Note 48 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code. This provision limits defendants in certain security-related cases to a list of lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary during the preliminary investigation phase.
The attorney emphasized that the restriction applies solely to the investigative stage before the prosecutor’s office and should not extend to proceedings before the Supreme Court. He further stated that when he attempted to formally register his representation on February 21, 2026, he was informed that, because the case was approaching the issuance of a ruling, his request could not be accepted.
Sources close to the family also report that Mohammad Abbasi was subjected to physical torture and threatened with sexual violence against his daughter in order to coerce a forced confession.
