December 11, 2025

Over 80 Iranian Lawyers Demand Transparency in Suspicious Death of Human Rights Lawyer Khosro Alikordi

Brother of Alikordi Summoned, Authorities Warn Activists Not to Give Any Speeches at Funeral

December 11, 2025 — A group of 81 lawyers, all inside Iran, have signed a public statement demanding full transparency regarding the suspicious death of Mashhad-based human rights lawyer Dr. Khosro Alikordi, whose body was discovered in his office on December 8, 2025.

Provincial officials in Razavi Khorasan immediately attributed his death to a “heart attack,” citing the Forensic Medicine Organization, even as reports emerged of a tight security presence around the scene.

Alikordi was a prominent figure among Iran’s community of human rights defenders. Over the past several years, he had been repeatedly arrested, harassed, and threatened by security and judicial forces. His record included the defense of dozens of detained protesters and political defendants—among them the family of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a teenager killed during the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, and prominent activist Fatemeh Sepehri.

On December 9, 2025, 81 lawyers from across Iran issued a statement, reprinted in full below, demanding clarity on the circumstances of Alikordi’s death and pledging support to his family during what they called a necessary “truth-seeking process.”

One of the lawyers who signed the statement told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI):

“One of the important reasons for issuing this statement and gathering so many signatures from lawyers inside Iran was that we wanted to create a safe environment for Mr. Alikordi’s family.

“Another important point was to demonstrate this solidarity and support to the security authorities and officials, which is significant alongside our support and accompaniment of Mr. Alikordi’s family.”

A source familiar with the situation in Mashhad told CHRI:

“Some civil and political activists who traveled to Mashhad in recent days to meet with Mr. Alikordi’s family were spoken to by security agents upon their arrival at the airport and told that they must not give speeches at Mr. Alikordi’s ceremony.”

“Lawyers in the Islamic Republic who try to defend basic legal and human rights face relentless harassment, arrest, and imprisonment by the state; in this context, it is critical that there be a thorough investigation into Khosro Alikordi’s death,” said Hadi Ghaemi, CHRI executive director.

“Lawyers are the last line of defense in Iran for the thousands of individuals unlawfully prosecuted, imprisoned, and even executed—their safety and ability to function independently must be defended,” Ghaemi said.

CHRI urges the international community, including the UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders, on the independence of lawyers and judges, on peaceful assembly and association, on freedom of expression, and on Iran, as well as the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Human Rights Law Committee, to:

Closely monitor this case and demand a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into Khosro Alikordi’s death;
Demand that the Iranian authorities refrain from any judicial harassment or other punitive measures against Alikordi’s brother, the lawyer and academic Javad Alikordi, or any other member of Alikordi’s family;
Urge the authorities to refrain from any unlawful restrictions on Alikordi’s memorial services;
Call upon the authorities to ensure all documents, records, and medical or judicial reports related to Alikordi’s death be provided to his family and independent lawyers.

Following Khosro Alikordi’s burial in Sabzevar, Alikordi’s brother, the lawyer and academic Javad Alikordi, revealed that he had been summoned by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court via phone on December 10, 2025.

In a public message, he described the summons as “an honor,” calling it evidence of his commitment to “truth, justice, and human responsibility.” He warned that if “silence is ever imposed” on him as well, the public must not forget the fate of the two brothers and should continue pressing for the truth.

Javad Alikordi himself was released from Vakilabad Prison in August 2025 under electronic monitoring. Earlier that year, in March 2025, he had been detained after an appeals court reinstated a previously suspended sentence. He had been convicted in December 2024 of “propaganda against the regime,” receiving a fine and two additional bans: a travel ban and a prohibition on online activity—penalties that triggered the enforcement of his suspended sentence.

Read the full text of the statement by the 81 lawyers below.

Statement of Condolences, Sympathy, and Support for the Legal Rights of the Alikordi Family by a Large Group of the Country’s Lawyers

In the name of God

With utmost sorrow and grief, we express our condolences on the untimely loss of Dr. Khosro Alikordi to his esteemed family, colleagues, and all who knew and admired him.

The passing of this honorable lawyer is a painful and irreparable loss for the country’s legal community, and his memory will forever remain alive.

Alongside this profound grief, it is expected that the incident concerning his death be examined with precision and a fully technical and expert approach.

It is appropriate that all documents and relevant information be provided to Dr. Alikordi’s respected family as soon as possible so that all aspects of the matter may be clarified with complete transparency and without any ambiguity or omission, bringing solace to the grieving hearts of his family and colleagues.

We, as members of the country’s legal community, declare our readiness to accompany and support the Alikordi family in the process of truth-finding and safeguarding their rights.

Signatories, in alphabetical order: