Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old prominent lawyer for jailed protesters and a former political prisoner, was found dead under unclear circumstances, prompting some attorneys and activists to suggest possible Islamic Republic involvement.
Alikordi died of cardiac arrest on Friday night in his office in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, according to a report on Saturday by Iranian lawyers news agency (Vokala Press).
His body was transferred to the forensic institute for determination of “the main cause of cardiac arrest,” while police restricted entry to and from the office, according to media reports.
However, fellow lawyer Marzieh Mohebbi wrote on X that Alikordi died from “a blow to the head”, according to what she called “trusted contacts”.
Security officers, she said, removed cameras from the area and that access to his family had become impossible.
Mohebbi said the body was discovered inside his office, adding that security forces had taken over the site.
The US-based civil-society group Tavaana relayed a similar account, quoting a witness who said blood was flowing from his mouth when he was found. Another source cited by the group said his skull appeared fractured.
Human rights activist Javad Tavaf also described blood coming from the lawyer’s mouth and nose, saying he had suffered a severe head injury.
Longstanding pressure on a prominent defender
Alikordi, originally from Sabzevar and living in Mashhad, had represented political detainee Fatemeh Sepehri, several people arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, and bereaved families including that of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a teenager killed during protests.
“We find his death highly suspicious and do not believe he died of a heart attack,” Abolfazl’s sister Marziyeh said in an Instagram post about their lawyer’s death.
Some colleagues said he had recently warned clients of new “case building” against him and other activists, and that the intelligence ministry “intended physical elimination.”
Lawyer Babak Paknia posted an image of a conversation with Alikordi in which he said a new case had been filed against him and that authorities “did not leave him alone until the very last moment.”
Iranian rights lawyer found dead, sparking allegations of state involvement
