Farideh Moradkhani

Farideh Moradkhani (Persian: فریده مرادخانی; born 1971) is an Iranian engineer and human rights activist. She is related to Iran's former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as his niece through her mother, Badri Hosseini Khamenei. Moradkhani's father, Ali Tehrani, was a notable opposition figure in Iran; he passed away in October 2022.

Moradkhani has been detained multiple times by authorities in Iran. In January 2022, she was arrested and transferred to section 209 of Evin Prison. The arrest was reportedly linked to her public comments, including praise for Farah Diba, the former empress of Iran prior to the 1979 revolution, and her suggestion that Diba be allowed to return to Iran. She was subsequently released on bail following this detention.

On 23 November 2022, Moradkhani was taken into custody again after visiting a prosecutor's office in response to a summons. Two days later, her brother Mahmoud Moradkhani, who resides in France, shared a video recording in which Farideh Moradkhani called on international governments to sever ties with the Iranian government, describing it as a "murderous and child-killing" regime. In her statement, she characterized the regime as unfaithful to its religious principles and governed primarily through force and the preservation of power. She criticized the United Nations for what she perceived as insufficient response to the ongoing oppression in Iran, citing their issuance of "only a few expressions of regret" and "short and ineffective statements" amid "obvious and cruel oppression" of the Iranian populace.

Her family members have been active in expressing opposition to the regimes’ policies. Her mother, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, has publicly criticized the regime. Mahmoud Moradkhani shared her remarks via a video in December 2022, illustrating the family's engagement in political activism and opposition efforts.

Moradkhani's activism and detentions are associated with the broader context of ongoing protests and unrest in Iran, including the Mahsa Amini protests and other forms of dissent against the government’s policies and human rights record.