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The American relatives of two Iranian twin sisters, Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, have spoken out about the brutal treatment their daughters endured after being taken and imprisoned by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when they were 19. Now 20 years old, Taraneh has been sentenced to death, while Romina received a 25-year prison term. Their mother has described horrifying torture inflicted on the young women, including broken feet and elbows, hair forcibly ripped out, and threats of sexual assault.
According to family accounts, the sisters were seized in the middle of the night during a crackdown following protests in January. For five agonizing months, their mother searched tirelessly through hospitals and police stations before finally locating them in Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan.
When she was finally allowed to see her daughters in May, the mother was devastated by their condition. Masoud Nourmohammadi, their cousin who lives in Utah, recounted that the sisters’ faces were swollen with bruises, their bodies marked by broken bones, and large patches of hair missing due to violent mistreatment. Both had been held in solitary confinement.
Taraneh’s death sentence reportedly followed a forced confession, extracted under duress after guards threatened to sexually assault Romina if Taraneh did not comply. Nourmohammadi believes Taraneh’s sentence is intended as a warning, emphasizing the regime’s desire to instill fear and suppress dissent, regardless of innocence.
The sisters were detained separately-Taraneh at a residence she was staying in, and Romina at their mother’s home. Despite reports of their attendance at the January protests, the family asserts neither was known to be an active participant, and no concrete evidence was presented in court.
Nourmohammadi, who fled Iran over two decades ago and now lives in the U.S., has faced death threats for speaking out but remains determined to raise awareness. He hopes that sharing their story will prompt political intervention and support for the twins.
The Rahimi sisters were convicted on charges including “waging war against God” (moharebeh), destruction of public property, and propaganda against the Islamic Republic. Their case is one among many amid a harsh crackdown by the Iranian regime, which has executed over 900 people since January, primarily in connection with widespread protests.
Nourmohammadi emphasized the dire conditions prisoners endure, lamenting, “I never thought an Iranian could treat another Iranian this way… depriving them of water or medical care. The conditions are horrific.” The family’s plea underscores the ongoing human rights crisis unfolding inside Iran’s prisons.