Leila Abolhasani sentenced to death over January protests

Hengaw – Tuesday, September 15, 2026

The Iranian judiciary has sentenced Leila Abolhasani, who was arrested during the January 2026 protests in Shahin Shahr, to death on the charge of “waging war against God” (moharebeh). She has been held in Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan for more than seven months.

Based on information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Abolhasani, a 43-year-old hairdresser and mother of two teenage daughters, was sentenced to death in May 2026 by Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Vahid Hemmatnejad.

Her case was referred to Iran’s Supreme Court after she appealed the sentence and is currently under review.

Abolhasani was arrested on January 8, 2026, while photographing a fire at a branch of the Ofogh Kourosh chain store in Shahin Shahr. She has remained detained at Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan since her arrest.

Authorities accused her of involvement in setting fire to the store, an accusation that resulted in the death sentence against her.

No information has been made available regarding the evidence presented by the court to substantiate the charge against her.