January Protester Morteza Yousefzadeh Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Breathing in Confinement, Tuesday, 29 September 2026: Morteza Yousefzadeh, one of those arrested during the nationwide protests in January, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Seyed Ali Mazloum.

According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, the sentence was issued in a case in which Yousefzadeh was tried on a charge of “operational action aimed at disrupting national security.”

Morteza Yousefzadeh was arrested by security forces during the January protests. Following his arrest, he was transferred to the Greater Tehran Prison, also known as Fashafouyeh Prison, where he has remained in detention without being granted prison leave.

The 10-year prison sentence was issued in a case arising from the January protests. The ruling has renewed concerns regarding the situation of those detained during the protests and the judicial proceedings in their cases. The right to a fair trial, effective access to legal counsel, and the opportunity to present a defence are among the fundamental rights of defendants in judicial proceedings.