In January 2023, 19-year-old twins Taraneh and Romina Rahimi were kidnapped from their beds in the middle of the night by masked individuals later identified as being affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a powerful military and security force in Iran. The twins were among millions of Iranians who took to the streets in protest against the government. Their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, learned of their arrest after four months of searching hospitals and government institutions. When she finally visited them in May at Dowlatabad prison in Isfahan, she found her daughters in a severely beaten condition—both had lost most of their hair from being dragged by it, and their faces and bodies were covered in bruises. According to their cousin, Masoud Nourmohammadi, who lives in Utah, Taraneh was allegedly threatened with a sexual assault against her sister unless she signed a confession. In recent months, it has been revealed that Taraneh has been sentenced to death for her involvement in the January protests, while Romina received a 25-year prison term. Neither twin has been seen by their family since the sentencing, and the reason for the difference in their sentences remains unclear. Nourmohammadi, who moved to the U.S. from Iran 22 years ago and now works in healthcare IT, says the Iranian regime does not follow its own legal procedures. He points to the lack of proper appeals processes, which are supposed to last 18 days, and claims that many people are executed without any legal recourse. Despite the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, which began in February 2024, Iran has executed over 500 people this year, including at least 29 linked to the January protests. At least 16 of those executed were women, and hundreds more protesters face death sentences or charges that could lead to execution. The UK and 30 other countries recently issued a joint statement condemning the executions of January protesters, calling them an attempt to silence dissent. Nourmohammadi, who receives death threats and messages with his home address, is speaking out despite the risks. He said the case of his cousins should inspire efforts to end the Islamic regime. The twins had joined the protests in Istafan, a city in Iran, on January 8 and 9, alongside millions of others. A month later, masked men came for them, dragging them away without explanation. Their mother searched for them across the country, only to finally learn of their location through a phone call. Seeing her daughters in such a state was heartbreaking, as she could not recognize them due to their severe injuries and lack of hair. Their lawyers claim that any confessions given were obtained through torture, and that there was no evidence of the twins’ involvement in violence. The sisters had never participated in protests before. Nourmohammadi said his mother, who raised the twins alone, has been living with him for the past few months, and he described how she is constantly in tears.