According to a post on Golrokh Iraee’s X page, Verisheh Moradi, a Kurdish political prisoner held in Evin Prison, refused to attend her hearing at Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on Saturday, July 11, 2026, telling the court she did not recognize its legitimacy.
Verisheh Moradi has been in detention since August 2023. After roughly five months in solitary confinement, she was sentenced to death on a charge of “baghy” by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Abolghasem Salavati. Following an appeal, the Supreme Court overturned the sentence on grounds of investigative flaws and sent the case back to the same branch for retrial.
Published reports indicate that throughout her detention, she has repeatedly faced restrictions on phone calls and family visits, and security and judicial authorities have on numerous occasions obstructed her access to medication, medical care, and transfer to treatment facilities.
HANA Human Rights Organization stresses that the retrial, particularly given that it involves a charge carrying the death penalty, must fully respect fair trial guarantees, including an independent and impartial court, unimpeded access to legal counsel, the right to mount an effective defense, and rigorous scrutiny of the evidence.
Given the repeated criticism international human rights bodies have leveled at how Abolghasem Salavati handles political and security cases, there is serious concern about whether the principles of impartiality and the defendant’s rights will be upheld in this case.
HANA is also calling for Verisheh Moradi to be given immediate, unimpeded access to medical care, medication, contact with her family, and all of her fundamental rights while in detention.