Iran sentences activist to death over X posts, lawyer says

A Revolutionary Court in Tehran has sentenced social media activist Amirhossein Mousavi to death on charges of "corruption on earth" over his activity on X, his lawyer said Wednesday.

In a post on X, Mousavi's lawyer, Reza Shafakhah, said his client had been sentenced over his online activity under the account name "James Bidin."

The sentence was issued by Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, who is under US, British and European Union sanctions over his role in human rights abuses.

Mousavi, 42, who has been detained since December 2024, was also sentenced to five years in prison for "insulting religious sanctities," his sister said on X.

His sister, Saeideh Mousavi, condemned the ruling and called for it to be overturned.

"We condemn this unjust sentence and demand its reversal and that Amirhossein's life be saved," she wrote.

She said her brother had used his online presence to amplify the voices of political prisoners and families of people killed during protests in Iran.

"His only crime was writing about and highlighting the suffering of people whose voices were rarely heard," she wrote, adding: "Writing about people's suffering is not a crime!"

The death sentence also prompted messages of support from other X users, some of whom echoed his sister's appeal.

"He was our voice for years. Now it's our turn to be his," one user wrote.

Another warned that the ruling could have wider implications for Iranians expressing their views online.

"Today, Amirhossein Mousavi was sentenced. Tomorrow, it could be you or me," the user wrote. "We must speak up for him before it's too late."

Mousavi had also received support from families of slain protesters before Wednesday's verdict.

Shabnam Eskandari, whose brother Mohammadreza Eskandari was killed during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests in Pakdasht, near Tehran, praised Mousavi for helping bereaved families keep the memories of their loved ones alive.

In an October 10 post on X, Eskandari recalled how Mousavi had repeatedly shared posts about her brother and other slain protesters.

"It was James Bidin who constantly shared posts from our families' accounts and repeatedly wrote the names of our loved ones," she wrote.

Solitary confinement, televised confession

Mousavi was arrested on December 18, 2024, at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport while preparing to travel to the southern Iranian island of Kish, according to HRANA.

His lawyer previously said security agencies had monitored Mousavi's X account for nearly six months before identifying him through his activity on the platform.

His prosecution has drawn attention over allegations of prolonged solitary confinement, physical abuse and a televised confession that Mousavi subsequently said had been obtained through threats and coercion.

On October 6, 2025, Iranian state television aired footage of Mousavi during its 20:30 news programme, presenting statements linking him to alleged intelligence activities involving Israel.

Mousavi later rejected the allegations in a letter from Evin Prison, saying interrogators had forced him to participate in the televised interview after months of physical and psychological pressure.

He said he had spent 148 days in solitary confinement, been subjected to beatings and faced threats involving his wife, who had also been arrested.

According to Mousavi, interrogators threatened to detain her again unless he agreed to the interview.

He said his statements had been made under pressure and at the prompting of interrogators and that state television had selectively edited and distorted his remarks before broadcasting them.

Mousavi also denied supplying Israel with information about sensitive military facilities or maintaining contact with agents of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, saying he had never had access to classified information.

Iranian state television has a long history of broadcasting confessions by detainees accused of espionage, national security offences and involvement in anti-government protests.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised the practice, warning that confessions obtained under duress have been used in criminal proceedings, including cases resulting in death sentences.

Hundreds under death sentence

Mousavi's sentence comes amid growing concern over Iran's use of capital punishment against political prisoners and people detained during nationwide anti-government protests in January 2026.

Although Mousavi was arrested before those demonstrations, his case comes as Iranian courts continue to issue death sentences against protesters and other defendants accused of political and national security offences.

An Iran International review of cases involving political charges indicates that approximately 220 prisoners are currently under sentence of death, up from around 194 recorded in early October.

Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based rights organisation, reported Tuesday that at least 691 people had been executed in Iran during the first 10 months of 2026.

Of those, 81 were executed on security-related charges, a category that includes political prisoners, protesters, people accused of espionage and other defendants.

The organisation said 36 protesters were among those executed during the period, including 34 arrested in connection with the January uprising and two associated with the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

Source: iranintl.com, Azadeh Akbari, November 4, 2026

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but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
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