Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi, an elderly political prisoner residing in Tehran, has been sentenced by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Amoozadeh, to five years and eight months of imprisonment. This sentence was communicated to him following an official notice he received last week.
Case Background
He was arrested on 28 July 2025 (6 Mordad 1404) during a raid by security forces on his home, without the presentation of a judicial warrant, and was transferred to the Intelligence Department’s detention center in Qom. He spent weeks in solitary confinement, was denied access to a lawyer, and was released only after several months of detention on bail.
Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi, a resident of Tehran, is married and the father of several children. He was previously arrested in 2009 and 2016 for supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and spent a total of about ten years in Evin and Gohardasht prisons. He was released from Gohardasht Prison in Karaj on 15 July 2021 after completing his sentence, yet he continued to face restrictions, including a ruling of internal exile.
He is from a family deeply affected by the mass repression of the 1980s—a generation repeatedly targeted by the systematic violence of the ruling regime. His re-arrest at an advanced age and in deteriorating health demonstrates that the authorities, in confronting dissent, do not refrain from targeting even the elderly and the ill.
Arrest as Part of Systematic Repression
The arrest and mistreatment of Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi must be understood within the broader context of the regime’s systematic repression of dissidents, particularly families seeking truth and justice for the mass executions of the 1980s. He is among those whose relatives were executed during the mass killings of that decade, and today—decades later—he and other survivor-families continue to face pressure, intimidation, and persecution by security institutions. His renewed arrest sends a clear message from the authorities to other justice-seeking families: “Remain silent or pay a higher price.”
Medical Condition and Life-Threatening Risk
Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi is 80 years old and suffers from severe medical problems, including heart disease, a torn knee meniscus, prostate cancer, and age-related frailty. Physicians had previously emphasized the need for specialized and continuous medical care in his case. Enforcing this heavy prison sentence could place his life in serious danger.
Human Rights Dimensions
His case represents a pattern of conduct that violates fair trial standards, including denial of legal counsel and the use of solitary confinement—practices recognized in international documents as violations of human rights. His advanced age and multiple illnesses also breach the minimum standards for the treatment of detainees.
Clear Violations of Human Rights
The case of Mohammad Banazadeh Amirkhizi constitutes an evident violation of several fundamental human rights:
- Right to liberty and security of person (Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights): His arrest without a judicial warrant and detention under unclear circumstances directly violate this article.
- Right to a fair and public hearing (Article 10): Denial of access to a lawyer and the absence of an open trial constitute a complete deprivation of his right to defense.
- Right to medical care (Article 25): Obstruction of treatment for his serious illnesses and disregard for his physical condition violate this basic principle.
- Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment (Article 5): Prolonged solitary confinement and psychological pressure constitute a form of white torture.
Reactions and Calls to Action
Amnesty International had previously issued warnings about his situation and called for the immediate cancellation of the sentence and guaranteed access to appropriate medical care. Given his critical medical condition and life-threatening risk, human rights advocates are urging the suspension of the sentence and his immediate release.
