Broken Elbow, Jail, Death Sentence: Twin Iranian Sisters Face Regime's Wrath

Two 19-year-old twin sisters in Iran are facing harsh punishment over their alleged role in anti-government protests earlier this year.

Taraneh Rahimi has been sentenced to death, while her sister Romina Rahimi has been handed a 25-year prison term. The sisters were still in high school when they were arrested. Masked men took them from their home in the middle of the night, according to The Guardian.

The men were later identified as people sent by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Their family did not know where the sisters were for four months. Their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, searched hospitals and government institutions before finally being told that her daughters were being held at Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan.

She was allowed to see them in May. However, according to reports, she could not recognise her own daughters as they had bruises across their bodies and their faces were badly swollen. Their cousin, Masoud Nourmohammadi, who lives in Utah in the US, said they had broken elbows, knuckles and feet. He also said their hair had been pulled out.

According to him, prison staff dragged the sisters by their hair from one cell to another. They were also kept in solitary confinement.

Taraneh, who dreams of one day running her own horse stable, allegedly told the court that she was tortured and that any confession she made was forced. She was also reportedly threatened with the sexual assault of her sister. According to the family, prison guards told Taraneh they would rape Romina in front of her if she did not sign a confession.

The sisters' mother, who raised them alone and is now 20 years old, was not allowed to attend their trial. Their lawyers reportedly told the court that the sisters' statements had been obtained through torture. The family has also claimed that no evidence was presented showing that either sister had taken part in violence during the protests. They had not previously participated in protests.

Taraneh and Romina joined demonstrations on January 8 and 9 in Isfahan as millions of people took to the streets across Iran. About a month later, the two were taken from their home with bags placed over their heads.

"The family didn't know where they were," their cousin said. Relatives searched for them at different courts and hospitals before receiving a call informing their mother that the girls had been found and were being held in prison.

Masoud Nourmohammadi said the family does not understand the court's decisions. He also questioned whether the authorities were following Iran's own legal procedures. He said lawyers are normally given 18 days to appeal an execution sentence. But he claimed this process has not been followed in several recent cases.

He believes Taraneh's death sentence could also be meant to frighten other protesters. He said the authorities may be trying to send a message that anyone can be punished for protesting.

Iran has executed more than 500 people this year since the US-Israel war began in February and at least 29 of those executed were linked to the January protests. At least 16 women are among those executed.

Hundreds of other protesters have been sentenced to death or are facing charges that could lead to the death penalty. More than 70 such cases are reportedly in Isfahan.

Last month, the UK and 30 other countries condemned the executions.