Marriage over the phone, execution the next day: a harrowing story from an Iranian prison

New Delhi: In Iran, a man was hanged the day after his wedding. Alireza Sepahi, 25, was arrested following the January protests. He was executed in Isfahan's Central Prison on the morning of October 5th. Alireza Raisi, 21, was reportedly also executed alongside him. He reportedly married his fiancée from prison a day before his execution. According to reports, Sepahi married 22-year-old Mahshad Kashani, who was also in prison for the protests, but was lodged in a different prison. Their lawyer arranged the wedding over the phone the day before the execution, with the consent of both their parents.

What happened in January?

According to officials, the case was linked to protests in Isfahan's Alikhani Square on January 8, in which four police officers were killed. According to the judiciary's Meizan agency, Sepahi was convicted of membership in an armed group and endangering national security. According to the Norwegian organization Iran Human Rights, Iran has so far sentenced 34 people to death in cases related to the protests, which peaked on January 8 and 9. Rights groups say the protests were brutally suppressed, resulting in thousands of deaths and the internet being shut down.

Sepahi was arrested on January 10

Sepahi was arrested on January 10th, just days after the alleged incident. His mother was with him at the time of his arrest. His mother is still in prison, serving a five-year sentence. According to the Abdurrahman Boroumand Center in the US, the case against Sepahi was seriously flawed. Defense evidence was ignored, and footage showed he was not even present at the scene. Nearly a dozen people, including Sepahi, were sentenced to death in this case.

Sentencing postponed due to seizure

Iran Human Rights reported that two men were hanged in prison on July 19. Sepahi was scheduled to be publicly hanged in Alikhani Square on July 28, along with two others, including his cousin Abolfazl. UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato said that shortly before the scheduled execution, Sepahi suffered a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. The other two men were publicly hanged. A few days later, Sepahi was discharged from the hospital and returned to prison, where he lived in daily fear of execution.

The court dismissed the appeal

The Revolutionary Court in Isfahan rejected their appeal. Relatives were summoned for a final meeting. But Sepahi had one last intention. His lawyer arranged an audio call with Kashani so that religious wedding vows could be recited before he died. According to audio recordings shared by rights groups, the lawyer asked if they would allow the marriage and offer a dowry consisting of a copy of the Holy Quran, a piece of rock candy, and a red rose. The parents of both parties agreed. Prison authorities did not allow the couple to meet face-to-face one last time.

The body was not found for burial

Roya Boroumand, co-founder of the Abdurrahman Boroumand Center, said lawyers had hoped the wedding might delay the execution. But authorities claimed the fiancée was unrelated to the prisoner and prevented a personal ceremony. She said the wedding took place, but in absentia. It was legal, but not in the presence of both parties inside the prison. Mai Sato said the family remained in fear even after the execution. The body was not returned to Isfahan for burial, but was sent to Kashan, about 200 kilometers away.