HANA Human Rights Organization has learned that on Saturday, June 20, 2026, the verdict against Javad Alikordi, a lawyer and Kurdish citizen from Sabzevar, was communicated to him by Branch One of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. Under this ruling, he has been sentenced to 18 years in ta’zir imprisonment, permanent disbarment, and additional supplementary punishments.
According to information received, Mr. Alikordi was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and 13 years on charges of “propaganda activity against national security.” The court also sentenced him to permanent disbarment, a two-year travel ban, and two years of internal exile to Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The hearing in this case was held on June 10, 2026, at Branch One of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court.
Javad Alikordi was arrested by security forces following the seventh-day memorial ceremony for his brother, Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent lawyer well known for representing justice-seeking families, and after he raised demands for clarification of the circumstances and cause of his brother’s death. He had previously stated that security forces had confiscated the CCTV cameras from his brother’s office and called for the full footage to be released.
Khosrow Alikordi died in his office on December 5, 2025. Despite the official announcement of “cardiac arrest” as the cause of death, his family, pointing to the ambiguities surrounding the case, called for an independent, impartial, and effective investigation. In the wake of his death, 82 lawyers jointly issued a statement calling for transparency and an independent inquiry into the circumstances of his passing.
HANA Human Rights Organization regards the imposition of heavy prison sentences, internal exile, and permanent disbarment against lawyers as a violation of the principles of fair trial and incompatible with international standards on the independence of the legal profession. Under the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, lawyers must be able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, pressure, harassment, or interference, and must not face prosecution, punishment, or professional sanctions as a result of their professional activities or their defense of clients’ rights. While expressing deep concern over this verdict, HANA stresses the urgent need to guarantee the independence of the legal profession, protect the professional security of lawyers, and ensure the right to fair and effective legal proceedings.