Iranian activist resentenced to death after earlier ruling overturned

A Revolutionary Court in Iran has once again sentenced Yaghoub Derakhshan, a political prisoner held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, to death, despite the fact that his previous death sentence was overturned by Iran’s Supreme Court and the case was sent back for retrial, according to the foreign-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Branch 2 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court reissued the death sentence following a new review of the case. The ruling, issued last week, was recently communicated to Derakhshan in prison, News.Az reports, citing HRANA.

His earlier death sentence had been annulled by the Supreme Court, which referred the case to a parallel branch of the Revolutionary Court for reconsideration.

Derakhshan was initially arrested in July 2024 on charges of “propaganda against the regime”. He was released on bail after several weeks in custody. However, following a second arrest, he was charged with the more serious offence of “baghi” (armed rebellion against the state) and later sentenced to death in the summer of last year by Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Ahmad Darvish-Goftar.

According to sources cited by HRANA, Derakhshan was subjected to severe psychological and physical pressure during interrogations and was compelled to make self-incriminating confessions, which were subsequently used as key evidence in the case.

Due to a lack of transparency in the judicial process, details of the specific allegations against him remain unclear.

Yaghoub Derakhshan is 50 years old and a resident of Bandar Anzali.

News.Az