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Next spring, Fatemeh Sepehri will see her 61st year. Currently 60 years old, she is serving an 18-year sentence in Mashhad for calling for change in the Islamic Republic. Despite her frequent arrests throughout the years as well as significant health issues, she has never wavered in upholding her beliefs. Throughout her struggle for freedom, she has consistently identified with the principles of constitutional monarchy, reflecting her political lineage.
Ironically, on paper, she once appeared to fit the Islamic Republic’s ideal profile: a veiled woman, the widow of a war martyr, and the member of a war martyr’s family, which could have entitled her to certain benefits. Yet, she chose to chart a different path, which began the moment she signed a letter demanding the resignation of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. This act broke with social conventions and subsequently set her on a new journey.
Born in 1964 in Mashhad, Fatemeh faced significant difficulty in her life starting with the loss of her husband in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Despite her strong objections at the time, a court assigned custody of her child to her father-in-law as the “legal guardian” in keeping with the Islamic Republic’s laws which often prevent a mother’s sole custody of her own child in the event of divorce or widowing. Such an arduous and emotional process displayed a direct impact of the Islamic Republic on Fatemeh’s rights as a woman, as her efforts in court to retain custody ultimately failed.
Fatemeh experienced a significant turning point in her life in 2004 (1383 SH) at age 40, when she took the national university entrance exam and was admitted to the Business Management program at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, a socially and politically consequential decision for a woman of her age After graduating in 2008 (1387 SH)….
Around June 12, 2019 (22 Khordad 1398), Fatemeh signed a document known as the “14 Activists’ Statement,” along with 13 other civil and political activists. The joint statement called for reforms to Iran’s constitution, the resignation of Ali Khamenei, and a transition from the Islamic Republic, citing pervasive violations of civil rights—especially women’s rights—a lack of independent governance, and the absence of free elections. The statement, addressed to the people of Iran, urged them to rise up against tyranny. Soon after it was published, several signatories were arrested. Fatemeh Sepehri—along with Huriyeh Farajzadeh and Narges Mansouri—was detained in Tehran and Mashhad within days, marking her first arrest.
She was initially sentenced to six years in prison, which was later reduced to three years on appeal. After nine months in custody, she was released in what authorities called a “leader’s pardon,” partly because of her status as the widow of a war martyr. Upon her temporary release, however, Fatemeh announced her rejection of Khamenei’s pardon. She declared she had committed no crime and insisted that if the state believed she had, it should prove the accusations and mete out punishment through a legitimate judicial process.
Her second arrest occurred in the summer of 2021 (1400 SH) when she publicly supported the protests in Khuzestan over its water shortages. She was released after a brief detention but was arrested again about a year later during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in the autumn of 2022 (1401 SH). On September 21, 2022 (30 Shahrivar 1401), soon after giving an interview to the Iran International TV network, she was taken into custody for a third time. Her mother and daughter repeatedly posted videos expressing concern for her welfare, with her daughter, Ansieh Mahdavi, referring to her as “Ali Khamenei’s nightmare” and stressing the toll that solitary confinement had taken on her mother’s health.
In December 2022 (Azar 1401), Fatemeh sent an audio message from within Mashhad Prison, urging Iranians to unite and support protests planned for December 5 to 7 (14-16 Azar). She insisted they not forget those who lost their lives in protests, adding that Iranians would not see better days until the Islamic Republic was dismantled. In February 2023 (Bahman 1401), the Criminal Court of Mashhad sentenced her to one year in prison and a 20-million-toman fine on charges including “insults” toward Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei. Later that same year, she was given an additional 18-year prison sentence by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court, with 10 years designated as the most severe portion to be served. Her brother, Asghar Sepehri, revealed that her lawyer’s representation was not recognized by the court, leaving the verdict unchallenged and final as of March 12, 2023 (21 Esfand 1401).
Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, only the lengthiest sentence—in her case, 10 years—should apply. However, Fatemeh’s serious heart disease complicates the unjust enforcement of these conditions. After extended efforts, she underwent heart surgery on October 1, 2023 (9 Mehr 1402), was discharged a few days after on October 7 (15 Mehr), and sent directly back to prison. Her condition then deteriorated so rapidly that she was granted a medical furlough and returned to the hospital. Only 11 days after leaving the hospital, however, she was rearrested on October 19 (27 Mehr). Further medical furlough was denied, leaving her to finish the year 2023 (1402 SH) in increasingly dire circumstances. By December 2023 (Azar 1402), her health remained precarious, suffering from severe heart palpitations.
The following December of 2024 ( Azar 1403), new restrictions were imposed on her in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Her brother Asghar reported that prison officials had locked all the cell doors by order of a judge, drastically limiting her time outdoors—a condition that is crucial for someone recovering from open-heart surgery.
On January 29, 2025 (9 Bahman 1403), Asghar Sepehri announced another court hearing for Fatemeh and her brother Mohammad Hossein. They were charged with “insulting the Supreme Leader” and “propaganda against the system,” allegedly for a letter dated December 27, 2024 (6 Dey 1403) addressed to Ali Khamenei. In it, they declared that his situation was worse than Bashar al-Assad’s shortly before his downfall, adding that neither the ability to suppress nor any opportunity to deceive remained. The proceedings were held virtually, and when Fatemeh asked to see the investigator via the camera, the request was refused.
Today, at 60 years old, Fatemeh Sepehri endured multiple charges in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison for simply speaking her mind. Despite severe heart conditions and multiple surgeries, she faces further indictments and repeated court appearances. Under Article 134, she must serve at least 10 years. By the time she reaches her 61st spring, she will likely still be in prison, coping with a deteriorating state of health in a system that shows no willingness to ease her suffering.
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC), strongly condemns the ongoing imprisonment of Fatemeh as a clear example of the Iranian government’s crackdown on freedom of expression and human rights. NIAC calls on the Islamic Republic to immediately release Ms. Sepehri and all political detainees, urging it to fulfill its obligations with respect to the fundamental rights of its citizens.