Mehdi Ansari, Attorney-at-Law, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

HRANA – Mehdi Ansari, a member of the Fars Bar Association and one of those arrested during the January 2026 protests, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz to five years in prison and a two-year travel ban.

Based on information received by HRANA, a branch of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz sentenced Mr. Ansari to five years in prison and a two-year ban on leaving the country on the charge of “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security.”

Mehdi Ansari, an attorney and member of the Fars Bar Association, had previously been arrested in Shiraz in connection with the January protests. He was eventually released from prison after posting bail set at 5 billion tomans.

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.

Attorney Bahar Sahraeian Arrested, Charged

HRANA – Bahar Sahraeian, an attorney in Shiraz, was arrested on May 16, 2026. Yesterday, after being formally charged, she was transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

According to Emtedad, Bahar Sahraeian was arrested and formally charged. Based on the report, on the morning of Sunday, May 17, 2026, Ms. Sahraeian was formally charged at the Shiraz Prosecutor’s Office with “assembly and collusion with the intent to act against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “spreading falsehoods.”

The attorney was arrested yesterday after appearing before the Shiraz Revolutionary Court to follow up on matters related to her legal practice.

At the time of this report, no information had been obtained regarding her place of detention.

Bahar Sahraeian, an attorney and member of the Fars Province Bar Association, has previously faced arrest due to her activities.

Attorney Elham Zeraatpisheh Arrested in Shiraz

HRANA – Elham Zeraatpisheh, a lawyer, was arrested yesterday in Shiraz and transferred to an undisclosed location.

The arrest took place on Monday, May 4, 2026, in the vicinity of the Shiraz Prosecutor’s Office for the Enforcement of Judgments. As of the time of this report, no information is available regarding her place of detention, the reasons for her arrest, or the charges brought against her.

Elham Zeraatpisheh is an attorney and a member of the Fars Province Bar Association. She has previously faced judicial actions and arrest due to her professional activities.

Attorney-at-Law Astareh Ansari Arrested in Shiraz

HRANA – Astareh (Maryam) Ansari, an attorney-at-law, was arrested last night at her home in Shiraz and transferred to an undisclosed location.

She was arrested on the evening of Sunday, May 3, 2026, at her private residence in Shiraz by security agents. No information is currently available regarding the reasons for her arrest or her whereabouts.

Astareh (Maryam) Ansari, a practicing lawyer, had previously been arrested during the 2022 protests.

Baha’i Couple Still Detained Without Charges in Shiraz

HRANA – Nearly one month after the arrest of Romina Khazali and her husband, Behzad Yazdani, this Baha’i couple residing in Shiraz remains in a state of uncertainty in Adel-Abad Prison in the city. Ms. Khazali, who suffers from multiple medical conditions, has been deprived of access to her necessary medications.

A source close to the couple’s family, confirming the news, told HRANA: “Before her arrest, Ms. Khazali had undergone stomach surgery and also suffered from conditions such as severe migraines, eye pressure, and back pain. In a recent brief call with her family, she said that her essential medications have run out. However, the medications sent by her family have not been accepted by prison authorities, which has heightened concerns about her health. Romina Khazali is only allowed a 30-second phone call with her family per week. She still does not have access to a phone card and has not been allowed to purchase items from the prison store.”

The source further added: “No interrogation session has been held for these individuals so far, and they remain unaware of the charges against them and the reasons for their arrest.”

Behzad Yazdani was arrested on the evening of March 28, 2026, and his wife, Romina Khazali, was arrested on March 29, 2026, by IRGC intelligence agents at their home in Shiraz.

Romina Khazali, a painter, and Behzad Yazdani, a translator and editor, are a Baha’i couple living in Shiraz and the parents of two teenage children, a daughter and a son.

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Report on the Arrest of Keyvan Ahmadi by the IRGC Intelligence

HRANA – Keyvan Ahmadi, a resident of Noorabad Mamasani, was arrested in late Match by agents of the IRGC Intelligence, and there is still no precise information available about his condition.

Based on information received by HRANA, Mr. Ahmadi was arrested in late March, 2026, by IRGC Intelligence agents in Shiraz. Despite nearly a month having passed since his arrest, there is still no clear information about his situation.
The reason for his arrest has been reported as accusations related to events that took place during the funeral of one of those killed in the January protests.

Keyvan Ahmadi had been working in a commercial unit in Noorabad Mamasani and was also active in the field of local music.

Maryam Derisi and Fariba Hosseini Sentenced to Imprisonment and Flogging

HRANA – Maryam Derisi and Fariba Hosseini, residents of Kazerun and Shiraz respectively, have been sentenced by Branch 101 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz to a total of seven years in prison and 74 lashes.

Based on a ruling recently issued by Branch 101 of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz and communicated to these individuals, Maryam Derisi has been sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes on the charge of “disrupting public order.” Fariba Hosseini has been sentenced to five years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one additional year on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” The court acquitted Ms. Hosseini of the charge of insulting the Supreme Leader.

According to information received by HRANA, Maryam Derisi also faces a charge of propaganda against the state; however, this charge has not yet been adjudicated in court.

Maryam Derisi was arrested on February 13, 2026, in Kazerun, and Fariba Hosseini was arrested on January 4, 2026, in Shiraz during nationwide protests. Both were released on bail on March 9, 2026.

Both have previously been arrested and convicted due to their activities.

Families in the Dark as Detention of Three Baha’i Residents Continues in Shiraz

HRANA – Nearly three weeks after their arrests, Behzad Basiri and Mandana Sotoudeh, a Baha’i couple living in Shiraz, along with Mahsa Sotoudeh, another Baha’i resident of the city, remain in a state of uncertainty. The lack of information about their fate has caused growing concern among their families and relatives.

Based on information received by HRANA, 18 days have passed since the arrests of Behzad Basiri and Mandana Sotoudeh, and 21 days since the arrest of Mahsa Sotoudeh. Despite this, their families and relatives remain completely unaware of their condition. Efforts to obtain information about their place of detention and their situation have so far been unsuccessful. Additionally, lawyers have not yet been able to formally register representation or follow up on their legal cases.

At the time of this report, no information has been obtained regarding the reasons for their arrests or the charges brought against them.

Mahsa Sotoudeh was arrested on Sunday, March 29, by IRGC intelligence forces at her home in Shiraz. Behzad Basiri and Mandana Sotoudeh were also arrested on Wednesday, April 1, by forces affiliated with the IRGC. Their arrests were accompanied by searches of their homes, during which agents confiscated their electronic devices.

Over the past decade, the Baha’i community in Iran has been subjected to security and judicial measures more than any other religious minority. A review of the annual reports published by the Statistics, Publications, and Works Center of the Human Rights Activists in Iran shows that over the past year, an average of 62% of reports concerning religious minorities were dedicated to violations of the civil rights of Baha’is.

Report on the Arrest of Four Female Protesters During the January Protests

HRANA – Negin Azad, Kamelia Nazari, Saghar Ghodrat, and Ghazal Ghodrat, four citizens who were arrested during the January protests in Shiraz, were released from Adelabad Prison in March under electronic ankle monitor supervision after going through detention, trial, and sentencing.

A source close to Negin Azad’s family told HRANA that at the time of arrest, the women were shot with paintball pellets in front of their home, causing physical injuries. The source also stated that “although no reports of physical mistreatment inside the prison have been raised, there has been psychological pressure, and in some cases, such as injury to one detainee’s ear, adequate medical care was not provided.”

Their arrests took place during the nationwide January protests in Shiraz. Following their detention, a joint case was opened against them, and judicial proceedings on the charges began.

In the initial trial, the judicial authority sentenced each of the four women to five years in prison on the charge of “disrupting public order.” After they appealed, the Fars Province Court of Appeals reviewed the case and ultimately reduced the sentence, sentencing each of them to two years of imprisonment to be served outside prison under electronic monitoring.

According to information received by HRANA, the four women were released from Adelabad Prison in late March 2026 under the new ruling, with electronic monitoring in place. Their release does not nullify their convictions, and the sentences will continue to be enforced in an alternative form outside prison.

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.

Woman Arrested in Shiraz on Espionage Charges

HRANA – The deputy commander of Fars Province’s police force announced the arrest of a female citizen in Shiraz. The official cited the reason for her arrest as “espionage through sending videos and images of missile launch and impact sites, cooperation with international hostile networks, and distributing anti-government leaflets.”

According to IRNA, the deputy police commander of Fars Province said that a woman had been arrested in Shiraz. Yousef Malekzadeh stated that the reason for her arrest was “espionage through sending footage and images from enemy missile launch and impact locations, cooperation with international hostile networks, and distributing anti-government leaflets.”

The police official further claimed that the woman had extensive contact with two media outlets based outside the country. He added that she had also intended to financially support one of these networks and served as the admin of two Instagram pages that widely published stories and messages.

Malekzadeh continued by claiming that “sending images of launchers, the moment of missile launches, and launch sites along with their geographic locations to foreign-based networks, chanting slogans against the regime at night from rooftops and across the city with several others, supporting one of the regime’s opposition groups, and participating in the protests of last January” were among her other alleged activities.

However, the deputy commander did not disclose the woman’s identity or place of detention.