Iranian Twin Sisters Face Execution; Family Urges UN Action

Iranian Twin Sisters Face Execution; Family Urges UN Action

By TheNATIONWEEK.com News Desk | September 25, 2026

NEW YORK – The family of 21-year-old Iranian twins, Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, has urgently appealed to the United Nations for assistance following their sentencing to death and decades in prison for participating in anti-regime protests. The case, presented to the UN by British human rights lawyers, highlights severe allegations of torture, forced confessions, and denial of basic legal rights within Iran’s judicial system.

Taraneh and Romina Rahimi were arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps eight months ago after joining nationwide demonstrations. They faced charges of “moharebeh” (waging war against God) for their involvement in protests in Isfahan on January 8 and 9. In late August, Taraneh received a death sentence alongside nine others, while Romina was handed a 25-year prison term.

The family is fighting to appeal the sentences, but human rights organizations fear Taraneh’s execution could be expedited. The sisters are currently held in Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan, where their family alleges Taraneh was threatened with witnessing her sister’s rape if she refused to sign a confession. Both women, held in isolation, reportedly heard each other’s screams during torture. Their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, and other family members have been denied contact since the sentencing.

Masoud Nourmohammadi, the twins’ 43-year-old cousin residing in Utah, revealed that Taraneh was subjected to further punishment, including being restricted to eating only prisoners’ leftovers. Desperate, he turned to the UN, stating, “I am simply asking the international community to help ensure that Taraneh and Romina receive the basic rights that every human being is entitled to: a fair process, protection from torture and abuse, access to medical care and legal counsel, and the right to have their cases genuinely reviewed.”

Nourmohammadi emphasized the urgency, especially for Taraneh, who requires surgery for injuries sustained during interrogation. “They are young women who should be thinking about their futures, not whether one sister will be executed and the other will spend the best years of her life behind bars,” he stated, vowing to “continue to use every peaceful and legal avenue available.”

The formal “submission of information” to the UN’s “special procedures” could prompt a request for explanation and action from the Iranian government. This appeal comes as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, declared the country “ready for dialogue and diplomacy,” a statement now juxtaposed with the Rahimi sisters’ plight.

Iran’s human rights record remains grim, with over 500 executions this year, including at least 16 women. Hundreds of protesters face death sentences or charges carrying capital punishment, with more than 70 such cases reported in Isfahan alone. The international community is urged to stand with the Rahimi sisters before it is too late.