Alieh Motalebzadeh
Age: 59
Activism/rights: Journalist
Status: Released
Judicial status: —
Violations: Arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of due process, unfair trial, denial of medical care
Alieh Motalebzadeh is a journalist, women's rights activist and the Vice-President of the Association for the Defence of Iranian Press Freedom. She was also a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, Campaign to Support Acid Attack Victims and No Death Penalty Campaign.
She was imprisoned for three years in the 1980s.
A day after returning to Iran from a workshop on women’s empowerment in Georgia, her home was raided 18 October 2016 and she was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence a few days later and questioned about attending the workshop. She was summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence again on 26 November the same year, when she was arrested and transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison until her release on bail on 19 December 2016.
On 14 August 2017, she was sentenced to three years imprisonment on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and "propaganda against the system" for attending the workshops by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Her sentence was upheld by Branch 36 of the Court of Appeal in October 2019. On 11 October 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alieh surrendered to Evin Prison where she was later informed that her sentence was five years.
On 10 January 2022, she was transferred to Qarchak prison after Evin prisoners held a memorial service for HRD Baktash Abtin.
She went on medical furlough on 23 February and was violently arrested at HRD Narges Mohammadi’s home on 12 April and taken to Qarchak Prison. On 7 October 2022, it was reported that at the request of the Prisons Organisation, a new case had been opened against 14 female political prisoners including Alieh, for refusing to be shackled and handcuffed when being transferred for court dates. She was banned from visits for six months and informed of new charges against her on April 23.
Alieh was transferred to Evin Prison on 20 July and banned from phone calls without reason on 17 October. Three days later, she was rushed to hospital after attempting to commit suicide from the pressure and returned to prison that same night.
Alieh was released on 9 February 2023 after serving more than a third of her sentence, per sentencing guidelines. While it was officially announced that she was released after being included in the general amnesties, Alieh did not sign the pardon request.
Alieh's home was raided and searched on 10 May and she was given five days to surrender herself to Evin Court. She was one of the speakers at a two-day online event titled "Dialogue to Save Iran'' in April, after which several speakers were arrested.
In 2024, after posting an Instagram story about the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, another case was opened against Alieh and all her bank accounts were frozen.
In November 2024, she publicly announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer, adding that repeated interrogations and state harassment had prevented timely diagnosis and treatment.
In February 2025, Alieh reported that she had been summoned to Branch 4 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office but was denied entry because she refused to wear a chador (long Islamic veil).
Alieh Motalebzadeh is currently free but her bank accounts remain frozen and she continues to face judicial and security pressures despite her health issues.