Taken From Their Home at Night: Iran Twin Sisters Face Death Sentence, 25 Years in Prison

Two 19-year-old twin sisters in Iran are facing severe punishment over their alleged involvement in anti-government protests earlier this year. Taraneh Rahimi has been sentenced to death, while her twin sister Romina Rahimi has received a 25-year prison sentence, according to reports.

The sisters were still in high school when they were arrested. Masked men allegedly took them from their family home in Isfahan in the middle of the night. The men were later identified as individuals sent by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to The Guardian.

For four months, the sisters' family had no information about their whereabouts. Their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, searched hospitals and government institutions before she was eventually informed that her daughters were being held at Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan. Iran Executes 2 Men by Public Hanging Over Killing of 4 Police Officers During Anti-Government Protests.

Nourmohammadi was allowed to meet the sisters in May. According to the family, she initially struggled to recognise them because their faces were severely swollen and their bodies were covered in bruises.

Their cousin, Masoud Nourmohammadi, who lives in Utah, US, alleged that the sisters had suffered broken elbows, knuckles and feet and that some of their hair had been pulled out. He also claimed prison staff dragged the sisters by their hair between cells and that they were held in solitary confinement.

Taraneh, who reportedly dreams of running her own horse stable, allegedly told the court that she had been tortured and that any confession she made was obtained under coercion. Her family said she was threatened with the s*xual assault of Romina if she refused to sign a confession. Who Was Saleh Mohammadi? Iran Executes Teen Wrestler, 2 Others Amid Protest Crackdown.

According to the family, prison guards told Taraneh they would rape her sister in front of her. Their lawyers reportedly argued that statements made by the sisters had been obtained through torture.

The sisters' mother, who raised them alone, was reportedly not allowed to attend their trial. The family also claimed that prosecutors failed to present evidence showing that either sister had participated in violence during the demonstrations.

Taraneh and Romina reportedly joined demonstrations in Isfahan on January 8 and 9, amid widespread anti-government protests across Iran. They had not previously participated in protests, according to their family. About a month later, they were allegedly taken from their home with bags placed over their heads.

Their cousin said the family remains unable to understand the court's decisions and has questioned whether the authorities followed Iran's legal procedures. He also claimed that lawyers are normally given 18 days to appeal a death sentence, but that this process has not been followed in several recent cases.

The family believes Taraneh's death sentence could be intended to intimidate other protesters and discourage further demonstrations.

Iran has executed more than 500 people this year since the US-Israel war began in February, with at least 29 of those executed reportedly linked to the January protests. At least 16 women are among those executed, according to the report.

Hundreds of other protesters have reportedly been sentenced to death or face charges that could carry the death penalty. More than 70 such cases are reportedly pending in Isfahan.

Last month, the UK and 30 other countries condemned the executions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2026 07:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).