HRANA – At least 47 current and retired teachers across Iran are imprisoned, detained, or serving sentences of exile, according to data compiled by HRANA on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day. Of those, 13 are serving prison sentences, 32 remain in detention, and two are serving court-ordered exile. This report provides an overview of their latest known status and focuses exclusively on their current circumstances.
World Teachers’ Day, observed annually on October 5, has been commemorated since 1994 and marks the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The document addresses, among other issues, teachers’ rights and responsibilities, conditions of employment, and standards for their working conditions and education.
Overview of Teachers’ Current Status
| Category | Number |
| Total individuals | 47 |
| Serving prison sentences | 13 |
| In detention | 32 |
| Serving sentences of exile | 2 |
| Geographic scope | 19 provinces |
These 47 teachers are spread across 19 provinces in Iran. Razavi Khorasan has the highest number on the list, with eight individuals. It is followed by Fars and Khuzestan provinces, with five each; North Khorasan, with four; and Alborz and West Azerbaijan, with three each.
Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Markazi, Isfahan, and Tehran each have two individuals on the list, while Lorestan, Bushehr, Kerman, Zanjan, Gilan, Qazvin, and Ilam each have one.
Names of the 47 Teachers:
Shokrollah Ahmadi, Masoud Farhikhteh, Milad Khorshidi, Amir Rahimi, Reza Amanifar, Ali Ahmadi, Mohammad Rafi Sadeghi, Sabah Valadbeigi, Siamak Sadeghi Chehrazi, Mojtaba Iravi, Mohammad Hassan Davoudi, Bakhtiar Rezvani, Javad Safari, Forouzan Yektaei, Hossein Khaleghi, Ahanali Jahandideh, Hashem Khastar, Javad Laal-Mohammadi, Mohsen Khodaei, Iraj Toubeiha, Shervin Hamideh, Masoud Kiani, Hossein Ramezanpour, Mahmoud Heidarian, Reza Taheri, Sirous Sattarnezhad, Mastoureh Narimani, Farhad Rahmani, Ahmad Alizadeh, Sina Karimi-Mofrad, Sadegh Sedaghat, Abolfazl Khoran, Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, Alireza Mardasi, Aman Jalalinezhad, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Reza Kamalvand, Yousef Amini, Zahra Arefi-Mehr, Alireza Shaygan, Arman Shahpourikho, Alan Hekmatirad, Reza Gerami, Ameneh Biraqdari, Fatemeh Zarei, Sattar Zarei, and Abbas Bagheri.
Among those on the list, Alireza Mardasi has been sentenced to death on two counts and one year in prison. The sentences issued against Javad Laal-Mohammadi total 21 years in prison, a portion of which is enforceable. Hashem Khastar has been sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison, while Mohammad Hossein Sepehri has been sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison.
Teachers Serving Prison Sentences
According to available information, 13 teachers are currently serving their sentences:
• Masoud Farhikhteh – Sentenced to five years, one month, and 17 days in prison and is serving his sentence at Karaj Central Penitentiary.
• Amir Rahimi – Sentenced to four years in prison and is incarcerated at Dorud Prison.
• Mohammad Hassan Davoudi – Sentenced to three years, four months, and two days in prison and is serving his sentence at Urmia Prison.
• Javad Safari – Sentenced to five years in prison and a fine and is incarcerated at Zanjan Prison.
• Abolfazl Khoran – Sentenced to a total of six years and five months in prison and 74 lashes and is serving his sentence at Arak Prison.
• Hashem Khastar – Has been in detention and prison since August 2019. He was sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison, two years of exile, and a two-year ban on leaving the country. He is currently incarcerated at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
• Javad Laal-Mohammadi – Has been in detention and prison since October 2021. His sentences total 21 years in prison, a portion of which is enforceable. In August 2026, he was also dismissed from the Ministry of Education by the Primary Board for Administrative Violations of Employees of the Razavi Khorasan Department of Education.
• Mohammad Hossein Sepehri – Sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison and dismissal from the Ministry of Education. He is serving his sentence at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
• Aman Jalalinezhad – Sentenced by a criminal court to three years and six months in prison and is incarcerated at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.
• Arman Shahpourikho – Currently serving a two-year prison sentence at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.
• Reza Kamalvand – Currently serving a five-year prison sentence and has been suspended from his job. He is held at Esfarayen Prison.
• Alireza Mardasi – Incarcerated at Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz and sentenced to death on two counts and one year in prison. According to available information, his sentence has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
• Ameneh Biraqdari – Arrested in January 2026 and transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. She was subsequently sentenced to one year in prison. After accepting the verdict and waiving her right to appeal, her sentence was reduced to eight months.
Teachers in Detention
In addition to the teachers sentenced to prison, 32 other teachers remain in detention. They are being held in prisons in various cities across the country, and in several cases, their exact place of detention or the charges brought against them remain unknown.
Fars: Shokrollah Ahmadi, Ali Ahmadi, Hossein Khaleghi, Ahanali Jahandideh, and Sadegh Sedaghat are in detention. Shokrollah Ahmadi was arrested in Nurabad, Mamasani, on September 25, 2026, and, following interrogation, was transferred to the city’s prison. Five other teachers who were arrested at the same time were later released on bail.
Razavi Khorasan: Zahra Arefi-Mehr, Alireza Shaygan, Reza Gerami, and Fatemeh Zarei are in detention.
Kurdistan: Milad Khorshidi and Mojtaba Iravi are in detention.
Khuzestan: Siamak Sadeghi Chehrazi and Mastoureh Narimani are in detention.
North Khorasan: Hossein Ramezanpour, Mahmoud Heidarian, and Abbas Bagheri are in detention.
Alborz: Shervin Hamideh and Reza Taheri are in detention.
Kermanshah: Sabah Valadbeigi and Masoud Kiani are in detention.
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad: Bakhtiar Rezvani and Sina Karimi-Mofrad are in detention.
Tehran: Mehdi Farahi Shandiz and Sirous Sattarnezhad are in detention.
Additionally, Reza Amanifar in Bushehr, Mohammad Rafi Sadeghi in Sirjan, Forouzan Yektaei in Rasht, Mohsen Khodaei in Javersian, Farhad Rahmani in Takestan, Yousef Amini in Bukan, Alan Hekmatirad in Naqadeh, and Sattar Zarei in Khomeyni Shahr remain in detention.
Teachers Serving Sentences of Exile
In addition to those imprisoned or detained, two teachers are currently serving sentences of exile. Iraj Toubeiha, following his release from Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, was sent to Dehsalm Rural District in Nehbandan County, South Khorasan Province, to serve a two-year sentence of exile. Ahmad Alizadeh, after completing his prison sentence, is also serving his sentence of exile in Fanuj County.
Conclusion
The cases documented in this report reflect the current circumstances of at least 47 current and retired teachers across Iran, based on information available at the time of publication.
Penalties imposed on individuals in this group include death sentences, lengthy prison terms, flogging, fines, dismissal from the Ministry of Education, suspension from employment, travel bans, and exile. In addition, the legal status of some detained teachers—including the charges against them and, in some cases, their exact place of detention—remains unclear.
