Abbasali Ramazani

Name: Abbasali Ramazani Location: Mashhad, Iran Date of Birth: 74 years old Date of Incident: January 19, 2026 Report Text: The Iran Human Rights Association reported on Tuesday, January 19, 2026, that Abbasali Ramazani, a former political prisoner from the 1980s and a prominent figure in support of the families of political prisoners, was killed by direct gunfire from security forces during popular protests in Mashhad (1). According to this report, he was over 70 years old and originally from Mashhad. He spent many years of his life in prisons across the country during the 1980s and thereafter, and reports indicate that he was subjected to torture. At the time of his death, he had recently completed part of his sentence and was released under electronic monitoring, subject to judicial oversight (1). Abbasali Ramazani had a history of arrest in 1989, 1997, and 2011. In 2011, while attempting to hold a ceremony in Mashhad with a group, he was arrested and held in solitary confinement at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad for 222 days. According to his acquaintances, he was subjected to physical and psychological torture and severe security pressures during this time and was deprived of the basic rights of prisoners. The effects of these pressures remained on his physical and mental condition in the following years (1). He was arrested again on October 17, 2021, in front of his home in Mashhad. On the same day, security agents entered his home and confiscated personal belongings, including his mobile phone, laptop, and computer case. This arrest was made due to his assistance and support for the families of political prisoners (1). Following his arrest in October 2021, he was interrogated and subjected to physical and psychological torture for one month in solitary confinement at the IRGC Intelligence and another month in solitary confinement at the Senior IRGC Intelligence Protection. Ultimately, the Fourth Branch of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court sentenced him to a total of three years and seven months in prison on charges of propaganda against the regime and membership in opposition groups with the intent to undermine national security, specifically the People's Mojahedin Organization (1). Despite suffering from heart disease, he was summoned to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad in August 2024 to serve his sentence and was released under electronic monitoring after serving part of his sentence. The killing of Abbasali Ramazani occurred while he was elderly, suffering from heart disease, and under judicial oversight. Following the news of this incident, human rights activists and civil society organizations called for an independent investigation and accountability of those responsible for this murder in a fair judicial process. They stated that the lack of accountability in similar past cases has contributed to the continuation of violence (1).