Inhumane Flogging Sentences for January Protesters; 13 Qorveh Citizens Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison and 196 Lashes

Breathing in Confinement, Monday, August 31, 2026: At least 13 citizens who were arrested during the January protests in Qorveh County have been sentenced by Branch 102 of the county’s Criminal Court to a combined total of 26 years, three months and one day of imprisonment and 196 lashes on charges including “disrupting public order” and “assembly and collusion.”

According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, these citizens were arrested during the protests in January. Some were held in detention for approximately three months, while others spent around one month in custody. The sentences handed down include imprisonment and, in the cases of four individuals, flogging in addition to prison terms.

According to the rulings issued by Branch 102 of the Criminal Court of Qorveh County, the sentences are as follows:

Mohammad Mohammadi was sentenced to four years, nine months and one day in prison.

Mostafa Gholami, Zahed Khaledian and Vahed Khaledian were each sentenced to three years in prison.

Shahrokh Mostafaei and Fereydoun Almasi were each sentenced to one year and nine months in prison.

Rasoul Ghorbanpour, Saman Ganji and Davoud Rezaei were each sentenced to one year in prison.

Four other citizens were sentenced to a combined total of 196 lashes in addition to imprisonment:

Reza Dehghani: one year in prison and 41 lashes.

Abolzar Moradhaseli: one year in prison and 31 lashes.

Anvar Alipanah: one year in prison and 50 lashes.

Amir Khaledian: one year in prison and 74 lashes. He was also sentenced to two years of internal exile in the city of Minab, Hormozgan Province.

The flogging sentences against these citizens come despite the fact that corporal punishment, including flogging, is regarded by human rights organisations and international human rights mechanisms as a form of degrading punishment that violates human dignity.

According to available information, these sentences were issued in connection with the individuals’ activities and participation in the protests that took place in January this year.