Mahboubeh Shabani, arrested during recent protests, at risk of execution in Mashhad
Hengaw – Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Mahboubeh Shabani, a 30-year-old woman detained during the recent protests, is currently held in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad and faces the charge of “waging war against God” (moharebeh), placing her at risk of a death sentence.
Based on information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, she was arrested in Mashhad at around 8:00 p.m. on February 2, 2026, outside a sports club in Azadi Square, by Iranian authorities. Informed sources stated that the arrest was carried out with severe violence by five male officers and one female officer. Her motorcycle was also confiscated.
Mahboubeh Shabani is accused of assisting injured protesters during demonstrations in Mashhad on January 7 and 8, 2026, using her motorcycle to transport them to medical centers and hospitals, informed sources told Hengaw. Iranian judicial authorities have cited these actions to bring the charge of “waging war against God” against her, an accusation that can result in the death penalty.
She is currently held in Ward 6, the women’s ward of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Her situation has raised serious concern among human rights organizations, particularly due to the absence of family support, as both of her parents are deceased, and the continued pressure from security institutions.
Hengaw has expressed deep concern over the risk of a death sentence in this case. The organization emphasizes that the actions attributed to her, including assisting the wounded, constitute humanitarian acts under international human rights standards. Criminalizing such actions under the charge of “waging war against God” lacks any legal basis.
The organization also warns that the accelerated pace of trials and executions of some detainees from the recent protests, particularly amid the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, has heightened the risk of extrajudicial executions.
Hengaw had previously warned in its investigative reports about the establishment of “field courts” in Iran following the recent protests.
