Sara Musiqui Sentenced to Six Years in Prison on Charges of Online Activity
Sara Musiqui, a 42-year-old architect and mountaineer, remains detained in Ward 8 of Qarchak Prison in Varamin following months of arrest and a six-year prison sentence. According to human rights organizations, despite physical injuries sustained during her detention and interrogation, she has been denied access to specialized medical care and treatment outside the prison. Her case, marked by unclear legal proceedings and restrictions on her lawyer’s access to the case file, presents yet another picture of the situation facing political prisoners in the Islamic Republic.
According to reports by human rights organizations, Sara Musiqui was arrested on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, during a security forces raid on her home. According to these reports, officers broke down the door of her residence and arrested her by force. Three days later, on April 22, she was transferred to Ward 8 of Qarchak Prison in Varamin, where she has remained imprisoned since.
Musiqui’s case was handled in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court under the supervision of Judge Iman Afshari. She has been sentenced to a total of six years in prison on charges including “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic,” “insulting sacred values,” and “contact with hostile states.” Other sources have reported additional sanctions including a two-year ban on leaving the country and a two-year prohibition from online activity.
Meanwhile, charges related to cooperation with Israel or Mossad have been denied by Sara Musiqui. She has emphasized that her activities were limited solely to posting a few stories on her personal social media page. Therefore, what has been raised regarding her contact with Israel or Mossad should be considered within the scope of the indictment and claims made by judicial authorities, not as an independently proven fact.
The primary concern now is the physical condition of this political prisoner. It has been reported that despite severe physical complications, officials at Qarchak Prison have refused to transfer Musiqui to medical facilities outside the prison and denied her access to specialized doctors. Previous reports by Hrana and Iran Wire, citing sources close to her family, have documented physical injuries sustained during interrogation and her continued deprivation of proper medical treatment.
According to a Hrana report, a source close to her family claimed that Musiqui was threatened with a weapon during detention and interrogation, needles were inserted into the palm of her hand, and she was beaten in the lower back area. This same source stated that despite these injuries, she was denied proper medical examination and referral to forensic medicine. These claims have not been independently verified, and judicial authorities and prison officials have released no explanation regarding them.
More recent reports also indicate that Sara Musiqui’s shoulder has been injured. According to information released by the Iranian Human Rights Documentation Center and the Iran Human Rights Forum, despite this injury and continued physical complications, no arrangements have been made to transfer her to a medical facility or provide her with specialized care.
On another front, the legal proceedings in this case are accompanied by questions about the right to defense. Sources close to her family have stated that Musiqui’s chosen lawyer did not have effective access to the case file throughout the judicial proceedings and was unable to fully participate in the trial process. After the sentence was announced, Sara Musiqui lodged an appeal, and the case is currently in the review phase.
Sara Musiqui, 42, worked as an architect before her arrest and was an avid mountaineer. Her case has resulted not only in a six-year prison sentence but has also affected her personal and professional life, while human rights reports continue to raise concerns about her physical condition and lack of access to specialized treatment.
What is most concerning in this case is the combination of imprisonment alongside medical deprivation and reports of violence during interrogation. Regardless of disagreement over the charges brought, a prisoner nonetheless retains the right to medical care, and her physical condition should not become another tool for intensifying pressure during her imprisonment.
Sara Musiqui’s case is ultimately another example of judicial pressure on citizens who have engaged in online activity. According to sources close to her, her activities were limited to posting a few stories, yet she now faces six years in prison while reports of physical injury and denial of medical treatment continue to emerge. The continuation of this situation, while the case remains in the review phase, has increased concerns about respect for the right to defense and the fundamental rights of political prisoners in the Islamic Republic.
