Ali Azad, one of the detainees of the nationwide protests of January 2026 in Rudsar, was transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht; he is facing the charge of “murder” of one of the Basij forces and concerns have increased about the possibility of using forced confessions and issuing heavy sentences.
Iran Human Rights Society, Wednesday May 6, 2026 – Ali Azad, one of the detainees of the nationwide protests of January 2026 in Rudsar, has recently been transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht. Ali Azad’s case is accompanied by security and heavy charges in conditions where numerous reports of arbitrary arrests, torture to obtain forced confessions, and use of these confessions as the main document in courts of protest cases have been published.
Transfer of Ali Azad to Lakan Prison in Rasht
Based on published information, Ali Azad was arrested during the nationwide protests of January 2026 in Rudsar. After the end of the interrogation stages, he has been transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht in recent days.
Sources close to the case have stated that Ali Azad is facing the charge of “murder” of one of the Basij forces during the protests.
Family’s Concern over the Possibility of Issuing Heavy Sentences
The family and relatives of Ali Azad have expressed concern about the process of the case and the possibility of issuing heavy sentences. This concern is raised in conditions where in recent months, cases related to protests have been accompanied by security charges and heavy sentences.
Reports show that many detainees of the protests have faced the danger of long-term sentences or even execution.
Ambiguity in the Trial Process and Access to a Lawyer
Until the time of preparing this report, no precise information about the trial process of Ali Azad’s case has been published. It is also not clear whether he has had access to a chosen lawyer and the possibility of effective defense or not.
The lack of transparency about the status of the case and the trial process has increased concerns about the non-observance of the principles of fair trial.
Arbitrary Arrests in Protest Cases
The arrest of Ali Azad was carried out within the framework of the widespread wave of arrests of protesters of January 2026. In many of these cases, arrests were carried out without providing a clear legal explanation and in a security atmosphere.
Human rights observers say that arbitrary arrests have become one of the fixed patterns of dealing with protesters.
Torture and Pressure to Obtain Forced Confessions
Numerous reports from similar cases show that detainees of protests are placed under severe physical and psychological pressure during the interrogation period. Human rights sources have repeatedly stated that torture and threats to obtain forced confessions are used in security cases.
In a number of cases related to protests, the accused have been forced to accept charges after weeks of detention and interrogation, which later became the basis for issuing the sentence.
Forced Confessions; Main Document in Security Courts
Human rights observers emphasize that in many cases of protesters, the confessions obtained under pressure are used as the most important document in the court.
In such cases, the lack of independent documents and the main reliance on confessions from the detention period have increased concerns about the validity of the judicial process. Ali Azad’s case has also been raised in conditions where there are concerns about the repetition of this same pattern.
Ali Azad’s Case and the Continuation of Pressure on Detainees of the Nationwide Protests
The transfer of Ali Azad to Lakan Prison in Rasht is evaluated as a continuation of the process of security confrontation with detainees of the nationwide protests of January 2026.
The increase in security cases, heavy charges, and lack of judicial transparency have intensified concerns about the status of detainees and their fate. Observers believe that the process of handling these cases is pursued more in a security atmosphere and under pressure from intelligence institutions rather than being legal.
Ali Azad; Concern over Repetition of the Pattern of Security Case-Building
Ali Azad’s case is being pursued in conditions where numerous reports of arbitrary arrests, torture to obtain confessions, and use of these confessions in security courts have been published. The lack of transparency about the trial process and access to a lawyer has increased concerns about the fate of this detainee of the protests.
Violated Articles:
Violation of the prohibition of arbitrary arrest – Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Arrest of protesters without judicial transparency and a clear legal process is an example of arbitrary arrest.
Violation of the prohibition of torture and forced confession – Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Applying pressure and torture to obtain confession violates the fundamental principles of human rights.
Violation of the right to fair trial – Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Lack of transparent access to a lawyer and non-public trial process violates fair trial.
Violation of the principle of presumption of innocence – Article 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Using forced confessions as the main document of the court violates the principle of presumption of innocence.
See also the below articles:
- Hamid Haj Jafar Kashani Sentenced to Six Years Prison
- New Conviction of Shiva Esmaili and Elahe Fouladi Highlights Rising Judicial Pressure in Iran Prisons
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