Iranian courts have sentenced 19-year-old Taraneh Rahimi to death and given her twin sister, Romina Rahimi, a 25-year prison term over their participation in January anti-government protests, according to their family. The sisters have not been seen by relatives since the sentences were issued.
The women were high-school students when masked men took them from their beds in Isfahan province a month after they joined demonstrations on 8 and 9 January. Their cousin says the men were later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
What happened to the sisters
Their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, spent four months seeking information from hospitals and state institutions before being told that her daughters were being held at Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan. During a prison visit in May, she reportedly did not recognise them.
The sisters’ US-based cousin, Masoud Nourmohammadi, said they had bruises, swollen faces and injuries to their elbows, knuckles and feet. He also said their hair had been pulled out and that they had spent time in solitary confinement. These accounts have not been independently verified in the material available.
Claims surrounding the case
The sisters’ lawyers said Taraneh told the court that admissions had been obtained through torture. Their family says no evidence was provided that the women took part in violence, and that they had not previously participated in protests.
The family says Taraneh was threatened with the rape of Romina unless she signed a confession. The reason for the difference between the sentences is not known, and the sisters’ relatives were not allowed to attend the trial.
The wider protest crackdown
The family’s account comes as hundreds of protesters in Iran have reportedly been sentenced to death or face charges that could carry the death penalty, including more than 70 people in Isfahan. At least 29 people have reportedly been executed in connection with the January protests, including at least 16 women.
The UK and 30 other countries signed a joint statement last month condemning the executions of January protesters and describing them as an attempt to silence dissent. Masoud Nourmohammadi said he has received death threats by text message and on social media after speaking publicly about his cousins’ case.
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