Malekshahi; Report on Death Sentence Issued for Mehdi Roshani, January Detainee, on Charges of "Moharebeh"
August 4, 2026 – "Mehdi (Sikan) Roshani," a Kurdish youth from Malekshahi in Ilam Province who was arrested twice following the January 2026 protests and against whom two political cases were opened, has been sentenced to death on charges of "moharebeh" (enmity against God) in his recent case. Following an appeal filed by his lawyer, the sentence is currently under review by the Court of Appeals, and he is held in Ilam Central Prison.
An informed source, confirming this news, told Kurdpa: Mehdi (Sikan) Roshani was recently sentenced to death on charges of "moharebeh" by a branch of the Revolutionary Court of Ilam, presided over by Judge "Feizi." His family has appealed this sentence through a lawyer, and the case is currently being reviewed by the Ilam Court of Appeals.
According to this informed source, in connection with the charge of "moharebeh," Mehdi Roshani was re-arrested in early August 2026 and transferred to Ilam Central Prison under a two-month temporary detention order. Security institutions in this case have leveled allegations against him, including "taking a photo sitting in a chair in front of the Malekshahi Governorate building," "hoisting the Kurdistan flag atop Kabir Kuh Mountain," and "destruction of public property." However, despite enduring severe physical torture, Mehdi Roshani has not confessed to any of the alleged charges and has rejected all of them. Furthermore, security institutions claimed that two other detainees confessed against him, but there is no evidence for this claim other than reports by security agencies themselves.
A relative of Mehdi Roshani also denied the attribution of the "photo sitting in a chair in front of the Malekshahi Governorate building" to him—which some media outlets had also published—and emphasized that he did not confess to any of the charges because he simply did not commit them. According to this source, the political prisoner's family, confident in their son's complete innocence, hopes that the death sentence will be overturned on appeal.
It is worth noting that Mehdi (Sikan) Roshani had previously been arrested following the January 2026 protests. Kurdpa had previously reported that on January 16, 2026, he was arrested by security forces without presenting a judicial warrant and transferred to an unknown location. After several months, he was temporarily released on bail, but a political case was also opened against him.
Mehdi (Sikan) Roshani is a Kurdish youth from Malekshahi and belongs to the prominent "Bawalg" tribe in Malekshahi.
