Akram Daneshvarkar and Azam Daneshvarkar, sisters of Akbar Daneshvarkar, who was executed on March 30, 2026, were arrested after repeatedly attempting to recover their brother’s body.
The arrests took place on April 18, 2026, following days of inquiries at Ghezel Hesar Prison, the forensic medicine organization, and judicial offices. Security forces reportedly took the two sisters into custody during one of these visits.
According to available information, Iran’s judiciary has opened a case against the sisters, charging them with “assembly and collusion against national security” and “disrupting public order.” They have since been transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. Their primary demand had been to obtain information about the location of their brother’s body and burial site.
Akram Daneshvarkar, 54, had been actively involved in the campaign known as “No to Execution Tuesdays” prior to her arrest. She, along with her parents, had advocated for the suspension of her brother’s death sentence. Their detention comes amid increasing reports of pressure and intimidation targeting families seeking justice for executed or disappeared relatives.
In a related case, Massoumeh Azhini, 63, the sister of Mahmoud Azhini, who was among those killed during the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners in Iran, was also arrested on April 4, 2026. Azhini, who had relocated from Tehran to the outskirts of Gorgan due to sustained security pressures, was transferred to an undisclosed location following her arrest. No information about her current condition or whereabouts has been made public.
Massoumeh Azhini had previously been detained in 2019 for her advocacy efforts and held for one year in Fardis Prison in Karaj. Following her release, she remained under continuous surveillance and pressure from security agencies and was repeatedly summoned and threatened.
