Supreme Court Confirms Death Sentence for Ali-Asghar Peyghambari

Ali-Asghar Peyghambari’s lawyer states his client had no connection with hostile groups or countries, and the only action attributed to him was attending one of the protests

Iran Human Rights Society, Monday, August 31, 2026 – Payam Derafshan, one of the lawyers representing Ali-Asghar Peyghambari (Alireza), has announced the confirmation of this political prisoner’s death sentence in the Supreme Court. With the confirmation of the issued verdict, the risk of sentence execution has increased, and the case lawyers have prepared requests for judicial review (retrial) and a stay of execution.

Ali-Asghar Peyghambari was arrested on January 14, 2026. His death sentence was previously issued by the Tehran Revolutionary Court citing the “Law on Intensifying the Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime.”

Information Box | Ali-Asghar Peyghambari Case File

Case Lawyer: No Connection Existed with Hostile Groups

Emphasizing defects in the issued sentence, Payam Derafshan declared that no organizational or other connection existed between his client and any hostile groups.

According to this defense attorney, based on the defenses presented, the only action attributed to Ali-Asghar Peyghambari was presence at one of the protests. This topic creates a fundamental distance between the behavior attributed to him and the irreversible punishment of execution.

Presence at a gathering or protest, without proving a specific criminal act, organizational connection, or conscious cooperation with a hostile entity, cannot by itself form the basis for issuing a death sentence.

Transfer to Ghezel Hesar Prison and Increased Risk of Execution

Ali-Asghar Peyghambari was previously transferred from Greater Tehran Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. He is among the detainees of the January 2026 nationwide protests, and Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court issued his death sentence. His transfer to Ghezel Hesar increased the concerns of his family and relatives due to the detention and execution of a large number of death-row prisoners in this prison.

Now with the confirmation of the sentence in the Supreme Court, the case has entered a critical stage. Any action to execute the sentence prior to addressing the retrial request can permanently eliminate the possibility of compensating for judicial mistakes.

Request for Retrial and Stay of Execution

Payam Derafshan announced that following the confirmation of the death sentence, a request for criminal retrial and a request for a stay of execution were drafted and pursuing them has been placed on the agenda.

Retrial is considered the final judicial avenue to review case defects once more and prevent sentence execution. Accepting the request for a stay of execution is also necessary to prevent any irreversible action until a full review of the file takes place.

Legal Review of Ali-Asghar Peyghambari’s Case Based on Domestic Laws

The laws of the dictatorship ruling Iran in past years have been criticized due to conflict with fair trials, widespread use of security charges, and issuing heavy punishments. Reviewing Ali-Asghar Peyghambari’s case based on domestic laws does not mean confirmation of these laws; the goal is to show instances where even these same laws were not observed.

Legal Ambiguities of the Case

The most important ambiguity is the issuance of a death sentence under conditions where, based on the lawyer’s defense, no connection existed between the defendant and hostile groups, and the only action attributed to him was presence at a protest. Likewise, it is unclear based on what documents the court deemed the death penalty proportionate.

Related Legal Articles

• Article 27 of the Constitution: Recognizes the right to hold peaceful gatherings.

• Article 35 of the Constitution: Guarantees the right to have a lawyer.

• Article 37 of the Constitution: Emphasizes the presumption of innocence.

• Principle of Legality of Crime and Punishment: Conditionalizes sentencing on the precise proof of all elements of the crime.

Cases of Law Violation

• Issuing a death sentence without proving connections to hostile groups;

• Converting presence at a protest into the basis of a security case;

• Disproportion of punishment relative to the action attributed to the defendant;

• Risk of sentence execution prior to reviewing the retrial request.

Reviewing the Case from the Perspective of Human Rights and Violation of International Standards

From a human rights perspective, the right to life, freedom of peaceful assembly, and enjoyment of a fair trial are fundamental principles of international law. The confirmation of Ali-Asghar Peyghambari’s death sentence creates serious concerns regarding the observance of these rights.

Human Rights Ambiguities of the Case

Issuing a death sentence for an individual whose only attributed action was announced as presence at a protest conflicts with the right to freedom of assembly and the principle of punishment proportionality. Executing the sentence prior to a complete review of the retrial request can also irreversibly violate his right to life.

Related International Documents

• Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Right to life, liberty, and personal security.

• Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Right to an independent and fair tribunal.

• Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Right to peaceful assembly.

• Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Protection of the right to life.

• Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Right to a fair trial and effective defense.

See also the below articles:

• Shahin Zoghi-Tabar Sentenced to New Prison Term in Evin
• Leila Abolhasani; Mother of Two Teenage Daughters Sentenced to Death

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