Iran: Shervin Bagherian, a Young Man Sentenced to Death in the Alikhani Square Case, at Risk of Execution

Cases of Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death in Iran

Case No. 17  |  Case ID: IRN-DP-1404-017  |  Last reviewed: 7 October 2026

Key Case Information

Human and Personal Background

Shervin Bagherian was born in 2007/08. His occupation, education and family circumstances are unknown. Without his day and month of birth, his exact age at the time of the events of 8 January 2026 cannot be established: he may have been 17 or 18. Clarifying this is essential to the legal assessment of his death sentence.

Arrest, Trial and Sentencing

Shervin was arrested in Isfahan in December 2025/January 2026. The case known as “Alikhani Square” concerns the protests of 8 January 2026 in the area between Malek Shahr and Kaveh. Judicial authorities linked the case to the deaths of four members of the Basij and special police units. Following these events, 59 people were arrested and 12 defendants in this case were sentenced to death.

Branch One of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court sentenced Shervin to death on a charge of moharebeh (enmity against God), and the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. Mohammad Barati-Dorcheh and Mohammad Tavakoli, known as Vakili, have been identified as judges in the case. The dates of sentencing and notification, and the lawyer’s name, are unknown. Accounts differ on the number of death sentences imposed on Shervin; his death sentence is confirmed, but the exact number remains unclear.

Reports concerning defendants in this case describe restrictions on effective access to lawyers of their choice, brief court hearings, and allegations of torture and forced confessions. Individual details of Shervin’s interrogation, defence and the evidence used against him are unknown.

Government Response and Conduct

After the Supreme Court upheld the sentences, the death sentences in this case were forwarded to the Sentence Enforcement Office of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court. According to a report dated 18 July 2026, Shervin and other prisoners sentenced in this case were transferred to solitary confinement in Dastgerd Prison. No specific response by judicial authorities to allegations of torture, forced confessions and restricted access to counsel is available. The judgment and evidence clarifying Shervin’s individual responsibility are also unavailable.

International Reactions

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran has called for a halt to the executions of defendants in the Alikhani Square case and expressed concern about the judicial proceedings. The Mission reported that at least 10 defendants faced execution and that the families of at least two condemned prisoners had been summoned for a “final visit”.

Amnesty International has warned of the risk of execution facing eight remaining defendants: Ali Dashti, Alireza Raeisi, Abolfazl Ebrahimi, Alireza Sepahi, Amirhossein Ebrahimi, Amirhossein Maleki, Ghaem Hosseini and Shervin Bagherian. It has called for urgent diplomatic action to prevent the executions. The exact dates of these statements are unknown.

Current Status and Risk of Execution

Shervin remains under a death sentence. His last known place of detention is Dastgerd Prison, Isfahan. The report of his transfer to solitary confinement dates from 18 July 2026; his current solitary confinement status and arrangements for contact and visits are unknown. No execution date has been announced, but confirmation of the sentence and referral of the case’s sentences for enforcement raise serious concern about the risk of execution.

Human Rights and Fair Trial Analysis

Right to life: linking the case to four deaths does not, by itself, establish Shervin’s individual responsibility for intentional killing. Assessing his sentence requires access to the judgment, evidence and specific role attributed to him. The restriction of capital punishment to the “most serious crimes” under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) concerns crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing.

Right to a fair trial: allegations of restricted access to counsel, brief hearings and forced confessions require independent investigation. If these occurred in Shervin’s proceedings, they would seriously undermine the validity of his trial and death sentence. Articles 7 and 14 of the ICCPR prohibit torture and compelled confessions; a confession obtained through torture must not form the basis of a conviction.

Age at the time of the events: if Shervin was under 18 when the alleged conduct occurred, imposing a death sentence would violate the prohibition in Article 6 of the ICCPR. His year of birth alone cannot establish this conclusively; examination of his birth record is essential.

Conclusion

Shervin Bagherian faces an upheld death sentence, while his exact age at the time of the events, the evidence supporting his conviction and the extent of his access to defence safeguards remain unclear. Halting the execution and independently examining these uncertainties are essential to protect his life and rights.

Urgent Appeal

United Nations bodies, governments and international human rights organisations are urged to act to protect Shervin Bagherian’s rights and prevent his execution, and to call for the following:

• Immediately halt the execution and formally disclose his judicial status.
• Quash the death sentence and guarantee a fair retrial without capital punishment.
• Ensure confidential, effective access to counsel of choice and adequate facilities for the defence.
• Publish the judgment, evidence and legal basis for the conviction.
• Independently investigate allegations of torture and forced confessions.
• Urgently establish his date of birth and age at the time of the alleged events.
• Guarantee regular family contact and visits, and necessary medical care.