ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Revolutionary Court in Mashhad has sentenced Javad Alikordi to 10 years in prison. A Kurdish citizen from Sabzevar, Alikordi is the brother of Khosrow Alikordi, a prominent defense attorney who represented political prisoners before dying under highly suspicious circumstances in his office in early December 2025.
Javad Alikordi was arrested on December 15 after publicly challenging the government’s claim that his brother died of "cardiac arrest." Pointing to evidence of unusual bleeding, he posted a video demanding accountability and claiming to hold confidential documents about the death. His arrest followed a heavy security crackdown on mourners during his brother's memorial services.
Human rights organizations, including Hengaw, note that this heavy sentence coincides with a drastic escalation in domestic repression. Following US and Israeli military bombardments targeting Iran on February 28, the judiciary has intensified its crackdown, executing an estimated 31 political prisoners in recent weeks under a state policy of "no mercy" for perceived dissidents.
Alikordi remains held in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison. Opaque court proceedings mean the exact formal charges remain undisclosed, a tactic rights groups call clear state intimidation.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment