Who is Leila Abolhasani? The mother sentenced to death after Iran’s January protests

Leila Abolhasani, a 43-year-old mother of two from Shahin Shahr, Iran, was sentenced to death in May 2026 on charges of "moharebeh" (enmity against God) by Judge Vahid Hemmatnejad of Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court. She was arrested on January 8, 2026, during nationwide protests, accused of setting fire to an Ofogh Kourosh supermarket. Her family denies the accusation, stating she was merely filming an already burning building. Details of the evidence and trial proceedings have not been made public, and her case is currently under appeal before Iran's Supreme Court. Human rights organizations report that Abolhasani was prevented from choosing her own lawyer during the investigative stage, and there are legal questions surrounding the application of the "moharebeh" charge, which typically involves drawing a weapon, an act not alleged in her case.