Iranian Protester Who Faced Three Death Sentences Dies in Prison

August 31, 2023

1 min read

The Islamic Republic's judiciary has officially confirmed the news of Javad Rouhi's death, a protester during the Women, Life, Freedom movement, who had been sentenced to death and was incarcerated in northern Nowshahr prison

Human rights sources had previously reported extensive accounts of severe physical and psychological abuse during Rouhi's detention

A young Iranian protester who had been sentenced to death has died in prison, the judiciary has confirmed.

The Islamic Republic's judiciary has officially confirmed the news of Javad Rouhi's death, a protester during the Women, Life, Freedom movement, who had been sentenced to death and was incarcerated in northern Nowshahr prison. Human rights sources had previously reported extensive accounts of severe physical and psychological abuse during Rouhi's detention.

The confirmation was made through a statement issued by the Mizan News Agency, an outlet associated with the judiciary.

"According to the official statement from Nowshahr prison's public relations office, Javad Rouhi, a detainee held under a legal verdict, had a seizure at 345am on Thursday, August 31. Following a medical emergency, he was urgently transferred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Nowshahr," Mizan reported.

The lawyer representing Rouhi, 35, has also confirmed the news.

But conflicting reports have emerged that challenge the official narrative.

The 1500tasvir activist Telegram channel, which focuses on disseminating human rights news and events linked to protests, said "Javad Rouhi, who had been detained and sentenced to death during the protests of 2022, was killed today within Nowshahr prison by the Islamic Republic," the activist channel has reported.

IranWire cannot independently confirm 1500tasvir's account of Rouhi's death. Other sources have claimed that Rouhi’s death was due either to poisoning or suffocation. No further details have been provided by the judiciary.

Rouhi was accused of "waging war against God," "spreading corruption on earth" and "apostasy" and had received three separate death sentences. But Iran’s Supreme Court intervened in June, nullifying all three death sentences and subsequently referring the case to another court for reevaluation.

Despite the Sari Revolutionary Court's awareness of his deteriorating condition, they made a controversial decision to deny Rouhi any release on bail.