Mehdi (Sikan) Roshani, who was arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests, has been sentenced to death by a branch of the Ilam Revolutionary Court on the charge of “enmity against God” (moharebeh). Following an appeal filed by his lawyer, the case has been referred to the Ilam Provincial Court of Appeal. He is currently being held in Ilam Central Prison.
According to Kolbarnews, Mehdi Roshani, a young resident of Malekshahi, was arrested twice following the January 2026 protests and is facing two political cases.
According to information received, a branch of the Ilam Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Feyzi, sentenced him to death in the latest case on the charge of moharebeh.
His family, through their lawyer, has appealed the ruling, and the case is now under review by the Ilam Provincial Court of Appeal.
According to the report, Mehdi Roshani was arrested again in early August 2026 and transferred to Ilam Central Prison under a two-month detention order. In this case, security authorities have accused him of, among other things, taking a photograph while seated on a chair in front of the Malekshahi Governor’s Office, raising the flag of Kurdistan on Mount Kabirkuh, and destroying public property.
An informed source stated that despite being subjected to severe physical torture, Mehdi Roshani has denied all of the charges brought against him. The source further stated that although security authorities claim that two other individuals provided statements against him, the case file is reportedly based primarily on security agency reports, and no independent evidence has been presented to substantiate those allegations.
A person close to the prisoner also rejected claims that a photograph circulated by some media outlets depicts Mehdi Roshani, emphasizing that he has made no confession regarding the accusations because he considers them entirely baseless. His family likewise maintains his innocence and hopes that the death sentence will be overturned on appeal.
Mehdi (Sikan) Roshani had previously been arrested during the January 2026 protests, on 17 January 2026, when security forces detained him without presenting a judicial warrant and transferred him to an undisclosed location. After several months, he was temporarily released on bail, although a separate political case remained pending against him.
