Maryam Hodavand
Iranian woman, aged 45, on death row in Evin Prison over the Pakdasht mosque fire case.
Last refreshed: 29 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Who is Maryam Hodavand and why is she on death row in Evin Prison?
Timeline for Maryam Hodavand
Held at Evin Prison with appeal still pending against death sentence
Iran Conflict 2026: Three Iran teens days from execution- Who is Maryam Hodavand Iran?
- Maryam Hodavand is a 45-year-old Iranian woman on death row in Evin Prison, convicted in connection with a fire at the Seyyed Al Shohada mosque in Pakdasht. She and three teenage co-defendants were reportedly denied independent legal counsel.Source: Hengaw; HRANA
- What is Evin Prison in Iran?
- Evin Prison in Tehran is Iran's principal facility for political detainees and defendants in high-profile cases, including those facing the death penalty.Source: Amnesty International
Background
Maryam Hodavand, aged 45, is the adult co-defendant in the Pakdasht mosque fire case, held in Evin Prison in Tehran. She faces imminent execution alongside three teenage defendants: Ehsan Hosseinipour Hesarloo, Matin Mohammadi, and Erfan Amiri. According to Hengaw and HRANA, all four defendants were denied access to independent legal counsel throughout proceedings.
Evin Prison is Iran's most prominent detention facility for political prisoners, dissidents, and defendants in high-profile cases. Its use as a holding site for the Pakdasht defendants underscores the gravity with which Iranian authorities are treating the case.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and international human rights organisations have called for stays of execution for all four defendants. For Hodavand specifically, concerns focus on the denial of legal counsel and whether fair-trial standards were met under Iranian law, in addition to the broader human rights concerns applicable to all four defendants.