Iranian rights lawyer Found Dead, Sparking allegations of Foul Play
Mashhad, Iran – Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Alikordi, has died unexpectedly, prompting widespread concern and accusations of state involvement from fellow activists and family members.Authorities have stated they are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, but details remain scarce.
Alikordi, originally from Sabzevar and residing in Mashhad, was found dead with signs of physical trauma, according to reports.Human rights activist Javad Tavaf described observing blood emanating from the lawyer’s mouth and nose, and indicated Alikordi had suffered a severe head injury. Initial reports suggested a possible heart attack, but manny are disputing this claim. “We find his death highly suspicious and do not believe he died of a heart attack,” stated Marziyeh, the sister of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a teenager killed during the 2022 protests whom Alikordi represented.
Alikordi had built a career defending politically sensitive cases, including representing political detainee Fatemeh Sepehri, individuals arrested during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, and families of those killed during the same demonstrations, such as the Adinezadeh family.
In the days leading up to his death,Alikordi reportedly expressed concerns to colleagues about escalating pressure from the authorities. Some sources claim he warned clients of new ”case building” against him and other activists, alleging the intelligence ministry “intended physical elimination.” Lawyer Babak Paknia shared an image of a recent conversation with Alikordi, in which the lawyer stated a new case had been filed against him and that authorities “did not leave him alone until the very last moment.”
According to that exchange,Alikordi had recently been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to one year in prison,a two-year ban from practicing law,and two years of internal exile for participating in the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign,facing charges of “propaganda against the state.” he had previously been arrested and, in early 2024, received further sentencing including additional prison time, exile, travel bans, and a prohibition on legal practice.
The death has prompted an outpouring of grief and anger within Iran’s activist community. Former political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi stated Alikordi had resisted “countless pressures and threats,” and suggested that numerous deaths previously labeled “natural” were, actually, the result of sustained coercion. “Recent suspicious deaths testify to the disorder governing our country,” he wrote.
Numerous social media users have directly blamed the Islamic Republic for Alikordi’s death, labeling it a “state killing.”
While an official examination is underway, the accounts circulating among lawyers and activists are intensifying scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding his death and raising renewed concerns about the dangers faced by attorneys defending political cases in Iran.
