Ilya Ben-Rashid

Ilya Ben-Rashid is a 22-year-old resident of Shahin Shahr, Isfahan Province. He lost both of his parents and, before his arrest, lived with his grandparents. Security forces arrested him on Thursday, January 22, 2026, during protests in Shahin Shahr. He was formally charged in February at Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Shahin Shahr and was transferred to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. In early April, Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court held a hearing by video conference on charges including moharebeh through alleged involvement in destroying public property, assembly and collusion against national security, and propaganda against the state. He defended himself against the charges at the hearing.
Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court later sentenced him to death for moharebeh. It also gave him three years, six months and one day in prison for assembly and collusion, nine months and one day for propaganda against the state, and a two-year ban on leaving the country.
The verdict was communicated to him on October 20, 2026. Rights groups report that he has been denied a lawyer of his choosing. Because of his grandparents’ age and health, his family has had great difficulty pursuing his case with judicial authorities.