Maryam Mehrabi, a teacher from Isfahan and the sister of Mahmoud Mehrabi (a political prisoner sentenced to death), has been on hunger strike since Monday, August 5, 2024, in Dolatabad Prison, Isfahan. This hunger strike is in protest against the sentence issued against her: six years of imprisonment, two years of prohibition from employment, and a two-year travel ban.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, Ms. Mehrabi, who had previously been arrested for pursuing her brother’s case, was again detained by security forces on June 18, 2024, and transferred to Dolatabad Prison, Isfahan. The First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan convicted Maryam Mehrabi on charges of propaganda against the regime, inciting or provoking people to war and killing, and spreading lies.
Reports indicate that Ms. Mehrabi was denied the right to access her chosen lawyer and spent several days in solitary confinement during her detention. In July 2024, Maryam Mehrabi had gone on hunger strike to protest her continued uncertainty case while in solitary confinement, which led to physical health issues.
Mahmoud Mehrabi, Maryam’s brother, was sentenced to death in May 2024 by the Fifth Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan on charges of “corruption on earth.” His appeal was filed with the Supreme Court in June 2024.
As a civil activist and for defending her brother’s rights, Maryam Mehrabi has been subjected to harassment and denied her basic rights, including access to legal counsel, proper prison conditions, and the right to peaceful protest.
The continuation of Maryam Mehrabi’s hunger strike in the harsh conditions of prison has raised serious concerns about her physical and mental health. Civil society and human rights organizations are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Maryam Mehrabi and the annulment of the unjust sentences against her and her brother.