The Revolutionary Court in Rasht has once again sentenced political prisoner Zahra Tabari to death on charges of bagh-y (“armed rebellion against the state”) based on her alleged membership in and activities related to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Zahra Tabari was first tried in November 2025 by Branch 1 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court and sentenced to death. The ruling was issued following a brief hearing lasting approximately ten minutes, conducted via video conference and without the presence of her chosen legal counsel.
Following widespread criticism and international reactions to the death sentence imposed on the political prisoner, the clerical regime’s Supreme Court referred the case back to Branch 2 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court for reconsideration. On April 14, 2026, the court, once again sentenced Tabari to death on the same charges. The verdict was officially delivered to her this week.
Who Is Zahra Tabari?
Zahra Tabari, 68, is an electrical engineer who holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Energy from the University of Borås in Sweden. She was arrested in April 2025 after security forces raided her home in Rasht.
Tabari had previously been arrested in June 2022 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. The reissuance of a death sentence against her has intensified concerns about the treatment of political prisoners and the handling of cases involving alleged links to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran has called on the European Union and its member states to take urgent action to secure the release of political prisoners facing execution and to help save the lives of those currently under death sentences, particularly Zahra Tabari.
