HRANA – Iman Shahpari and Arman Key Shams, detainees from the January 2026 protests who are currently imprisoned in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, have each been sentenced by the Khuzestan Province Court of Appeals to two years and one day in prison. One year of each sentence has been suspended for a period of four years.
According to HRANA, Iman Shahpari and Arman Key Shams, both detained during the 2026 nationwide protests, have been sentenced to imprisonment.
According to a ruling issued by the Khuzestan Province Court of Appeals and communicated to their attorney, Hossein Ali Hatami, Mr. Key Shams and Mr. Shahpari were each sentenced to two years and one day in prison on charges of disrupting public order, pursuant to the Note to Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code. One year of each sentence has been suspended for four years.
The two defendants, who are being prosecuted in a joint case, had previously been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court to two years and one day in prison on the same charge.
In this case, the charge of “disrupting public order” was brought under the Note to Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code. Under Iran’s legal framework, Article 286 itself pertains to the offense of “spreading corruption on earth” (efsad-e fel-arz). However, its Note provides that if a defendant’s actions result in disorder or insecurity but are not deemed sufficiently extensive to constitute efsad-e fel-arz, the death penalty does not apply, and the court may instead impose a Grade 5 or Grade 6 discretionary prison sentence (up to five years’ imprisonment).
The reliance on this Note, rather than Article 618 of the Islamic Penal Code, which addresses ordinary public-order offenses and carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, indicates that the case was handled through a security-oriented approach, with the court applying the more severe penalties available under the Note to Article 286.
These individuals were arrested on January 8, 2026, during the nationwide protests and were subsequently transferred to Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.
It should be noted that protests and strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants began in Tehran on Sunday, December 28, 2025, and within two days spread beyond markets and commercial centers. With the participation of students, citizens, and various social groups, these protests became one of the largest protest movements of recent years. Following the crackdown by security and law enforcement forces, thousands were killed or injured, and tens of thousands were arrested or summoned by security agencies. For more information, readers may refer to HRANA’s comprehensive report titled “Crimson Winter,” documenting the first fifty days following the outbreak of Iran’s nationwide protests.
