Leila Moallemi sentenced to 10 years in prison

Hengaw – Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Leila Moallemi, a resident of Mashhad originally from Bandar Abbas, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. She is currently held in Vakilabad Prison in poor health and without adequate medical care.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the sentence was imposed over an audio message Moallemi sent to media outlets outside Iran during the 40-day war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. In the recording, she expressed concern about the safety of students in Minab and said the school principal should have sent them home under wartime conditions.

Iranian security forces arrested Moallemi in Mashhad on Thursday, May 28, 2026, and subsequently transferred her to Vakilabad Prison. The 10-year prison sentence was issued and formally communicated to her while she was in detention.

Moallemi suffers from a serious heart condition and has been denied adequate access to medical treatment, medication, and prison health services during her detention at Vakilabad Prison. The lack of appropriate medical care has placed her health at serious risk.