Fatemeh Sepehri

Fatemeh Sepehri was born in 1964 (1343 SH). In 2004, at the age of 40, she was admitted to the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, where she later earned her bachelor's degree. She lost her husband during the Iran–Iraq War in the early 1980s. By court order, and against her wishes, custody of her child was granted to her late husband's father as the child's legal guardian.

On 5 August 2019 (14 Mordad 1398), Fatemeh Sepehri and her brother, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, were among the 14 female activists who signed the Statement of the 14 Iranian Activists, supporting an earlier declaration by 14 political activists calling for Ali Khamenei to step down and for a transition away from the Islamic Republic.

Following publication of the statement, on 11 August 2019 (20 Mordad 1398), Sepehri and her brother were arrested by security forces in Mashhad. She was charged with "disturbing public opinion," "spreading falsehoods," "insulting Islam," "insulting the leaders of the Islamic Republic," "attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic," "propaganda against the state," "giving interviews to media outlets hostile to the regime," "disrupting national security," and "disturbing public order through assembly." She was initially held at the Mashhad Intelligence Department detention center before being transferred to Vakilabad Central Prison in Mashhad.

After reviewing the charges, the court sentenced Sepehri to six years' imprisonment. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to three years and six months. She was also sentenced to 154 lashes, although the corporal punishment was suspended for five years.

In 2020, Sepehri was released under a Supreme Leader's amnesty. She publicly rejected the amnesty, stating that because she did not recognize Khamenei as the country's leader, she also did not accept his pardon. Nevertheless, she was released from Vakilabad Prison in May 2020 (Ordibehesht 1399).

During the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising, Sepehri continued her public advocacy in support of the movement. In this context, she gave an interview to Iran International TV. Following the interview, on 22 September 2022 (30 Shahrivar 1401), security agents arrested her at her home and transferred her to an undisclosed location.

In late February/early March 2023 (early Esfand 1401), Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mansouri, sentenced Sepehri to 18 years in prison. The sentence included 10 years for "propaganda against the state," 5 years for "cooperation with hostile governments," and 2 years for "insulting the leaders of the Islamic Republic." Under Iranian law, only the 10-year sentence is enforceable. According to her brother, citing her lawyer, the judgment became final without the appeal being accepted. In a separate proceeding, she was also sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined 20 million tomans for insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran under Article 514 of the Islamic Penal Code.

According to human rights organizations, Sepehri was denied the right to a lawyer of her own choosing and, for a period of time, was deprived of telephone access and family visits. Following her second arrest in 2022, her daughter released a video message in October–November 2022 (Aban 1401), stating that Sepehri had been held in solitary confinement at the Mashhad Intelligence Organization since her arrest and, after more than a month in isolation, was barely able to speak.

On 1 October 2023 (9 Mehr 1402), Sepehri underwent heart surgery. She was discharged from the hospital on 7 October 2023 (15 Mehr 1402) and returned to prison. By November–December 2023 (Azar 1402), she continued to suffer from serious health problems, including severe heart palpitations that made speaking difficult.

According to a report published by her brother Asghar Sepehri in August–September 2024 (Shahrivar 1403), Sepehri was experiencing serious medical problems, including severe pain in her arms and painful masses in her shoulder and chest. Despite undergoing medical examinations, no clear course of treatment had been provided. He also stated that throughout her detention she had faced restrictions, including suspension of telephone calls and confinement due to closure of the prison ward. Following her surgery, judicial authorities reportedly informed her that she would only be granted medical leave if she promised not to give interviews to the media, a condition she refused to accept.

On 28 January 2025 (8 Bahman 1403), according to Asghar Sepehri, an arraignment hearing for Fatemeh and Mohammad Hossein Sepehri was held before Branch 905 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. The two were charged with "insulting the Supreme Leader" and "propaganda against the state." Asghar Sepehri stated that the investigation had been initiated because of a statement published by the siblings on 26 December 2024 (6 Dey 1403) addressed to Ali Khamenei.