Iranian protester blinded in 2022 crackdown sentenced to death after return from Germany

September 4, 2026 at 10:46 AM2 min

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Ali Zarei, an Iranian man blinded in one eye during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests, has been sentenced to death by a Tehran Revolutionary Court. Zarei was arrested on April 28 after returning to Iran from Germany and is now held at Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. The sentence for 'corruption on Earth' was delivered on August 23, according to the rights group HRANA.

Key Facts

Ali Zarei was sentenced to death by a Tehran Revolutionary Court for 'corruption on Earth,' according to HRANA.
Zarei was arrested by Iran's Intelligence Ministry agents on April 28 after returning to Iran from Germany.
Zarei was blinded in his right eye during the state's crackdown on the 2022 protests.
In February 2026, Zarei addressed a protest in Munich attended by 250,000 people, according to German police figures.

The Sentence

A Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Ali Zarei to death for 'corruption on Earth,' according to the US-based Iranian rights group HRANA. The ruling, delivered to Zarei on August 23, accuses him of 'extensive political activities, creating fabricated reports of damage, producing false news, propaganda against the regime, disturbing security, and illegally entering and leaving the country.' Zarei is being held at Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.

Return and Arrest

Zarei was arrested by agents of Iran's Intelligence Ministry on April 28 after returning to Iran. His decision to return puzzled those who knew him in Germany, given his experience during the 2022 protests and the risks he faced. Parviz Yari, an Iranian journalist and activist who lived with Zarei in Germany for about a month, said Zarei had previously decided to return but changed his mind after Yari warned him of the risks. Yari said Zarei eventually decided to return without informing him, attributing the decision partly to the atmosphere among some Iranian opposition supporters following the deadly protests in January this year.

Protest Background

Zarei had been blinded in his right eye during the state's brutal crackdown on the 2022 protests and subsequently left Iran for Germany. He was one of many protesters shot in the eye in what appeared to be a deliberate tactic. Yari said Zarei identified himself as a monarchist but stressed he was not formally affiliated with any particular political party or organization. In February this year, Zarei addressed a protest in Munich attended by 250,000 people, according to German police figures.