The family of a man detained in Iran accused of being involved in the killing of three members of the Iranian Basij militia during anti-government protests earlier this year has said he faces possible execution.
Peyvand Naimi has been in custody since early January following his arrest during the protests.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, his cousin Sama Sabet, who lives in Dublin, said the 30-year-old has been subjected to torture, mock executions and pressure to confess.
"On 8 January 2026...he was arrested by the security forces and taken to the IRGC detention centre in Kerman.
"On 1 February 2026, he was forced to confess on national television by the interrogator Ameneh Zabihpour.
"And then on the 2 February, the Iranian authorities announced the charges against him, which was basically propaganda against the regime and membership in a subversive group.
"Then on the 28 February, he was accused of being involved in the killing of three Basij forces on 8 Jan, which is interesting because he was already in detention on the 8 of January.
"So, the accusation is basically preposterous," Ms Sabet said.
She said Mr Naimi has not had access to any legal representation and that there is "no a single shred of evidence" to support the claims against him.
"This has been a pattern of state-sponsored persecution," Ms Sabet added.
Mr Naimi has had access to make short phone calls, Ms Sabet said, but he has been visited several times by family members still living in Iran.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
"My aunt is in Iran, and they're allowed to make these international phone calls, which are super expensive for 30 seconds.
"So whatever information she has received about him and this condition has been from my aunt.
"A lot of Iranians who have fled to Turkey have also been a source of information.
"His relatives have been able to visit him a few times, and he has been able to make a few short calls as well," she said.
Ms Sabet added that the last time Mr Naimi was able to speak to family was on 7 March.
He said he was being falsely accused, pressured to confess to the allegations and that he rejected the accusations.
"He was tortured for 48 hours, tied against the wall, beaten, and he was taken to two mock executions.
"So, the first time around, he was asked to say his prayers and then they didn't execute him.
"The second time around, they almost kicked the stool underneath his legs. This is obviously very distressing for his family," she said.
Ms Sabet said the family are hoping to build a pressure campaign against the Iranian authorities to secure his release.
It follows the execution 18-year-old Amir Hossein Hatami who was convicted by the Iranian judiciary of participating in an attack on a military facility during anti-government protests.
"We are going to put all our efforts, do everything that we can, to bring his case into light and we still have a lot of hope that he will be released.
"But we also are aware that in order for that pressure to be built, we need media, we need civil society groups, we need human rights groups, we need other organisations to really rally behind Peyvand," she said.
Read more: Bahá'í community calls for support for man held in Iran
