Ahad Shokouhian faces three death sentences over January protests
Hengaw – Thursday, July 23, 2026
Ahad Shokouhian, a 38-year-old worker arrested during the January 2026 protests in Pakdasht, has been sentenced to death three times by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, placing him at imminent risk of execution.
According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, convicted Shokouhian on charges including "acting against national security," "assembly and collusion to act against national security," "destruction of public property with the intent to confront the state," and "participation in the killing of two government forces," sentencing him to death on three counts.
Informed sources told Hengaw that the court imposed the three death sentences despite Shokouhian being the third defendant in the case. An official forensic report concluded that his severe asthma left him physically incapable of carrying out the strenuous acts attributed to him by security agencies.
Shokouhian was denied the right to a fair defense throughout the proceedings. He was deprived of access to a lawyer of his own choosing during his interrogation and initial detention. His court-appointed lawyer, who was not based in Tehran, attended only a single court hearing. During the appeal process, the court also ignored all legal submissions and supporting evidence presented by his newly appointed defense lawyer.
Hengaw has also learned that several other defendants in the same case have received death sentences. The organization is currently verifying further details.
Iranian security forces arrested Shokouhian in Pakdasht, Tehran Province, on January 15, 2026. Since late June 2026, he has been held in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj under conditions that have raised serious concern.
Shokouhian, 38, works at Tehran's Imam Reza Flower Market and is the sole provider for his family. He supports his 80-year-old mother and his 55-year-old brother, who has a disability.
