Malika Azizi

As the wave of arrests related to the protests of January 2025 continues, the name of Malika Azizi, an 18-year-old girl from Gilan province, has emerged as one of the detainees in these protests, facing the risk of a death sentence. The charge against her is termed 'Moharebeh'; a charge that in the judicial system of the Islamic Republic can lead to a death sentence. According to reports, Malika Azizi was arrested during the protests on Friday, January 7, 2025, in Masal County and was subsequently transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht. News sources have described her arrest as violent, stating that it occurred with physical assault. The charge of Moharebeh in this 18-year-old girl's case has been attributed to the mention of 'burning the flag of the Islamic Republic'; an issue that, according to sources, has formed the basis for the heavy charge against her and now poses the risk of a death sentence. Reports also indicate that Malika Azizi has been deprived of the right to contact her family, and her family is under severe security pressure to refrain from pursuing media and legal actions regarding their child's case. Meanwhile, human rights organizations have warned about the increasing number of executions of citizens detained during the January 2025 protests, believing that extrajudicial executions are occurring secretly. These warnings come at a time when cases related to recent protests are being processed with charges such as 'Moharebeh' and 'Fasadeh fil-Arz'; charges that have also been used against protesters in previous years. Malika Azizi's case is currently at a critical stage, with growing concerns about the possibility of a death sentence for her, and her access to basic legal rights, including contact with family and free access to a lawyer, remains unclear.