Bita Hemati

Bita Hemati was arrested along with her husband Mohammadreza Majidi Asl and her brother, Amir Hemati on 9 January. On 15 January, state media aired Bita’s forced confessions in the presence of Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s Head of Judiciary. In the video, she “confesses” to throwing a concrete block at one of the security forces on her own, and throwing the other blocks down with her partner and brother. She is the second defendant in the case and one of four sentenced to death. Her brother was sentenced to five years and eight months’ imprisonment for “propaganda activities. 

It is not clear where she is being detained.

Charges: “operational action for the hostile government of the United States and terrorist groups (anti-revolutionary and monarchist)” through “chanting subversive slogans, using explosives, incendiary materials, and cold weapons, injuring hundreds of innocent citizens and security defenders, destroying and setting fire to public property, and throwing cement, concrete blocks, and empty glass bottles from a roof onto the heads of security defenders, which included the specific injury of a stationed Basij member.”

Status: Sentenced to death by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. She was also sentenced to five years' imprisonment on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security”, as well as the confiscation of her assets.