Iranian authorities continue to increase pressure on imprisoned women who advocate for human rights, democracy, and fundamental freedoms. Human rights organisations have raised concerns about additional prison sentences, restrictions on family contact, and other forms of retaliation against women activists in detention.

Forough Taghipour

Human rights activist Forough Taghipour is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison because of her peaceful advocacy for democracy and human rights.

In May 2026, she received an additional one-year prison sentence after publishing an open letter encouraging the Iranian people not to abandon their pursuit of freedom and human rights. Authorities have also repeatedly restricted her contact with family members as a form of punishment.

Taghipour has previously been imprisoned several times, including in Gharchak Women’s Prison, a facility widely criticised for harsh and degrading detention conditions.

Verisheh Moradi

Women’s rights activist Verisheh Moradi was sentenced to an additional six months in prison in May 2026 after publishing an open letter commemorating the nationwide protests of 2022.

Moradi, who advocates for women’s rights in Iran’s Kurdish regions, was arrested in August 2023. Following her arrest, she was reportedly subjected to torture and harsh interrogations by security authorities in Sanandaj before being transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran.

She spent months in solitary confinement and was allegedly pressured to make false confessions against herself, which she refused to do.

In November 2024, Moradi was sentenced to death. The death sentence was later overturned at the end of 2025, and her case was referred for further judicial review.

Call for Attention

The cases of Forough Taghipour and Verisheh Moradi illustrate the continuing pressure faced by women human rights defenders in Iran. International attention and support remain essential to protecting prisoners of conscience and promoting accountability for human rights violations.