Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi, two sisters arrested during the nationwide protests of December 2025, after violent arrest and months of security pressure, were sentenced to heavy prison terms in a court presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati. Human rights activists say the case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi is another example of security and judicial confrontation with protesting women.
Iran Human Rights Society, Wednesday May 27, 2026 – Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi, two protesting sisters and among those arrested in the nationwide protests of December 2025, were sentenced to prison by a branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati. According to published reports, Kimia Davoudi was sentenced to 10 years and Tara Davoudi to 6 years in prison. These two sisters are currently being held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Human rights sources say the arrest of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi was accompanied by violence and beating and their judicial process was also conducted in a security atmosphere.
Who are Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi?
Kimia Davoudi is a former law student at Razi University and Tara Davoudi is a former surveying student at Isfahan University. Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi were arrested after the nationwide protests of December 2025; protests that were accompanied by widespread suppression by security forces and the arrest of hundreds of people in various cities.
Sources close to the family of these two sisters say Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi did not have organized political activity before the arrest and were mostly pursued because of their presence and support for popular protests. Human rights activists say that in the months following the protests, a large number of women and young girls have faced heavy security cases.
How Was the Arrest of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi Carried Out?
Based on published reports, Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi were arrested in late December 2025 and after the bloody suppression of the protests. Human rights sources say the arrest of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi was accompanied by severe violence and security agents used beating during their transfer.
Human rights activists emphasize that violent treatment of protest detainees, especially protesting women, has become a repeating trend in recent years. According to these activists, many detainees are subjected to physical and psychological pressure in the initial stages of arrest in order to accept the desired confessions of security institutions in interrogations.
Why Is the Case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi Concerning?
The case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi was reviewed in a court presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati; a judge who has been known in recent years for issuing heavy sentences against political prisoners and protesters. Human rights sources say the process of handling the case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi was conducted in a security atmosphere and no transparent information about the details of the court sessions has been published.
According to these sources, Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi faced security pressures and heavy interrogations during their detention. Human rights activists warn that in many security cases, defendants are deprived of the right to free access to an independent lawyer and a fair trial process.
What Are the Sentences Issued Against Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi?
Based on published reports, Kimia Davoudi has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and Tara Davoudi to 6 years in prison. Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi are currently being held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison.
Human rights activists say issuing heavy sentences against protesting women is part of a policy of creating terror and suppression in society; a policy that has intensified especially after the nationwide protests.
According to these activists, the case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi shows that the judiciary of the Islamic Republic still uses security charges and heavy sentences to silence the voice of protesters.
Why Is Warning Given About Torture and Forced Confessions?
Human rights institutions have repeatedly announced that in many cases related to protests, detainees are subjected to pressure, threats and beating. Human rights activists say the purpose of these pressures is to obtain forced confessions and create an atmosphere of fear among detainees.
According to these activists, security agents and interrogators in many detention centers and prisons, without independent supervision, have extensive powers to apply pressure and torture. They warn that the lack of judicial and security accountability has prepared the ground for the repetition of violence against political prisoners and protesters.
Human Rights Violations; Security Treatment of Two Protesting Sisters
The case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi has been described by human rights activists as an example of widespread violation of the rights of protest detainees.
Violated Articles:
- Violation of the prohibition of torture – Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Reports of beating and violent behavior during arrest are examples of inhuman and degrading treatment.
- Violation of the right to fair trial – Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Security handling of the case of Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi and lack of transparency about the court process violate the principles of fair trial.
- Violation of freedom of expression and protest – Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The arrest and conviction of two protesting sisters because of connection with popular protests violate the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assemblies.
- Violation of the right to personal security – Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The application of violence and security pressure against Kimia Davoudi and Tara Davoudi has violated their right to personal security.
See also the below articles:
- Meysam and Mojtaba Veysi; Killing of Two Yarsani Brothers by IRGC Intelligence Forces
- Nima Arban Faces Uncertainty After Arrest in 2025-2026 Protests
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