Two Iranian twin sisters have received drastically different sentences following their arrests in connection with anti-government demonstrations that occurred in January. Taraneh Rahimi was sentenced to death while her sister Romina received a 25-year prison sentence, though neither has been seen by family members since the verdicts were issued. The disparity in sentencing has drawn scrutiny, with observers noting the lack of explanation from Iranian authorities.
The women, now 20 years old, were taken from their home by masked individuals identified as members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps approximately a month after participating in the street protests alongside millions of other Iranians. Their mother was not informed of their whereabouts for several months before finally locating them at Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan. Upon her visit in May, she found both daughters bearing visible signs of physical trauma, including facial bruising, hair loss, and broken bones. According to accounts from family members in the United States, the daughters reported having been subjected to torture and held in solitary confinement during their detention.
The case reflects a broader pattern of capital punishment affecting protest participants in Iran. More than 500 executions have been carried out domestically this year, with at least 29 specifically linked to the January demonstrations. At least 16 women have been among those executed, and hundreds of additional protesters have received death sentences or face charges potentially carrying capital punishment. In Isfahan alone, more than 70 individuals face such charges.
The sentencing of the Rahimi twins has drawn international attention and condemnation. Last month, the United Kingdom and 30 other nations issued a joint statement opposing the executions of January protesters, characterizing them as efforts to suppress dissent. A cousin of the women, residing in the United States, has spoken publicly about the case despite receiving threatening communications, stating that their arrests occurred without legal justification and that any confessions were obtained through coercive means. According to available information, the sisters had not participated in demonstrations prior to January and there has been no evidence presented connecting them to acts of violence.
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