HRANA – Abolfazl Khoran, a teachers’ union activist currently held in Arak Prison, has been sentenced by Branch 105 of the Criminal Court Two of Arak County to one year in prison and 74 lashes in connection with a new case opened against him during his incarceration.

According to HRANA, the verdict was issued on the charge of “disturbing the order and public peace of the prison.” Presiding Judge Keramat Parsafar cited slogans written inside the prison in protest against death penalty verdicts as the basis for the conviction.

The ruling may be appealed within 20 days of its notification.

Khoran was first arrested in August 2023, along with several other citizens, after attending a ceremony at the grave of Mehrshad Shahidi, one of the victims of the 2022 nationwide protests in Arak. All were later released on bail of 7 billion rials each.

In September 2023, the same court sentenced him to six years in prison and 74 lashes to be carried out in public, on charges of “insulting sacred beliefs” and “disturbing the order and public peace.” He began serving this sentence on January 21, 2025, when he was transferred to Arak Prison, where he remains in custody.