IRAN - Death sentence against Leila Abolhasani overturned

October 30, 2026 - IRAN. Death sentence against Leila Abolhasani overturned

Iran’s Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence against Leila Abolhasani, a 43-year-old woman arrested during the January 2026 protests. Her case has been referred to another branch of the court for retrial.

According to information received by Hengaw, the Supreme Court overturned the death sentence after reviewing an appeal filed by Abolhasani’s defense lawyer.

Abolhasani, a hairdresser and nail technician and mother of two teenage daughters, was sentenced to death in May 2026 by Branch Five of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Vahid Hemmatnejad, on charges of "moharebeh" (waging war against God).

Security forces arrested Abolhasani on January 8, 2026, during protests in Shahin Shahr, Isfahan Province, while she was filming a fire at a branch of the Ofogh Kourosh supermarket chain.

The judiciary accused her of involvement in the arson and sentenced her to death without presenting clear supporting evidence during the trial. She has remained detained in Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan since her arrest.