Death Sentence Issued Against Amir Hasan Akbari-Manfred on Charges of Sedition
The issuance of a death sentence against 27-year-old political prisoner Amir Hasan Akbari-Manfred has once again raised concerns about the Islamic Republic’s continued use of capital punishment as a tool to suppress opponents—a trend that, according to human rights organizations, continues to place the lives of young Iranians within a cycle of severe sentences and controversial trials.
The death sentence issued against 27-year-old political prisoner Amir Hasan Akbari-Manfred, detained in Evin Prison, has sparked fresh concerns about the intensification of suppression against political opponents in Iran. The sentence was issued even as human rights organizations have repeatedly warned in recent years about an increase in death sentences handed down to political prisoners and protesters.
According to published reports about him, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Abolqasem Solwati, has sentenced Amir Hasan Akbari-Manfred to death on charges of “sedition through membership in the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization of Iran.” The sentence was announced to him two days ago, and he is currently being held in Evin Prison.
Amir Hasan Akbari-Manfred was arrested in the winter of 2024 along with his father, brother, and sister by the Intelligence Ministry’s forces in Karaj. Although three other family members were subsequently released on bail, the precise details of the charges against them remain unannounced by Islamic Republic authorities. A source previously indicated that family members are facing security-related cases.
The issuance of this sentence comes at a time when international human rights organizations have repeatedly warned in recent months about the increased use of charges such as “sedition” and “enmity against God” to hand down death sentences against political opponents. Published reports indicate that these charges remain among the primary tools of the Islamic Republic’s judicial apparatus for dealing with critics and opponents of the government.
Judge Abolqasem Solwati, head of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, has previously issued harsh sentences, including death penalties, in multiple political and security cases. His name has been repeatedly mentioned in reports by human rights organizations in recent years due to the issuance of severe sentences against political activists, civil society figures, and protesters.
Critics of the Islamic Republic contend that the proceedings in many of these cases fall short of fair trial standards, and that defendants in numerous instances have been denied full access to independent counsel, public trials, and the opportunity for effective defense—a matter that has been repeatedly criticized by human rights reporters and international organizations.
The issuance of a death sentence against Amir Hasan Akbari-Manfred has once again highlighted serious questions about the state of fair trials and the use of capital punishment in Iran. Human rights organizations have long warned that the continued issuance of death sentences for political cases not only fuels concerns about the state of human rights, but also deepens the cycle of violence and suppression—a cycle whose price is paid by many young Iranians with their lives and futures.
