A 23-year-old medical student has reportedly been sentenced to death in Iran in a case that has raised serious concerns over the criminalisation of medical assistance provided to people injured during anti-government protests.
Sepehr Amirzadeh, originally from Ramhormoz in Khuzestan province, was arrested at his home in Isfahan on 13 January 2026, days after widespread protests across Iran. According to reports, Amirzadeh used his medical training to provide first aid and assistance to injured demonstrators during the unrest.
He was subsequently held in security detention facilities, interrogated and transferred to Isfahan Prison. Reports now indicate that he has received a death sentence, although crucial details about the precise charges, the evidence presented against him and the judicial process remain unclear.
Of particular concern is the allegation that Amirzadeh’s efforts to treat wounded protesters became part of the case against him. If confirmed, the implications extend far beyond one prisoner. Doctors, medical students and emergency workers must be able to provide treatment to injured people without fear that fulfilling their humanitarian responsibilities could later be used against them in court.
Questions have also been raised about whether Amirzadeh had effective access to a lawyer of his choosing and a genuine opportunity to prepare his defence. His family has reportedly faced pressure not to publicise details of his condition or legal case, further limiting public scrutiny of proceedings in which a young man’s life is at stake.
The case comes against the backdrop of a broader crackdown following Iran’s protests, during which large numbers of citizens have been detained and some have faced exceptionally severe sentences.
International human rights standards protect the right to life and the right to a fair trial, while the principle of medical neutrality requires healthcare professionals to be free to assist the injured regardless of their political views or circumstances.
A death sentence imposed in a case surrounded by such serious unanswered questions demands urgent international scrutiny. The Iranian authorities should provide full transparency over the charges and proceedings, guarantee access to independent legal representation, and halt any move towards execution.
Providing medical care to an injured person should never become grounds for persecution.