HRANA – Two women arrested during the January 2026 protests have each been sentenced to 22 years in prison by Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The two women, who are currently held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, are co-defendants in a case involving Mehdi Jalali, a cleric sentenced to death, as well as Amirreza Rezaei and Vahid Ghahremani, two other defendants in the case who have also received death sentences.
According to HRANA, two women have been sentenced to prison on charges of “espionage” in a case related to the nationwide protests of January 2026.
According to information obtained by HRANA, Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced each woman to 22 years in prison. HRANA has not yet been able to verify the identities of the two prisoners, and efforts to establish their identities are ongoing. Both women are currently serving their sentences in Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
A source familiar with the case told HRANA: “The two women initially faced the death penalty, but the judge ultimately granted leniency and sentenced each of them to 22 years in prison.”
The two women are co-defendants in the same case as three other individuals: Amirreza Rezaei, Vahid Ghahremani, and Mehdi Jalali, a cleric and former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). All three men have been sentenced to death by Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
HRANA previously reported on the death sentences issued against these three individuals. In the earlier report, the third defendant was identified only by his first name, “Mehdi.” HRANA has now verified his full identity as Mehdi Jalali.
Amirreza Rezaei and Vahid Ghahremani are among the defendants in this case who were arrested separately by security forces during the nationwide protests of January 2026. Both were sentenced to death by Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including “conducting operations for Israel.”
Mehdi Jalali, another defendant in the case, is a cleric and former member of the IRGC. He was also arrested by security forces during the January 2026 protests and sentenced to death in the joint case involving the four other defendants, on charges including “conducting operations for Israel.”
In addition, Mehdi Jalali has been sentenced to death on charges of “apostasy” by the Special Clerical Court in a separate case. As a result, two death sentences have been issued against the cleric in two separate cases.
The death sentences against Amirreza Rezaei, Vahid Ghahremani, and Mehdi Jalali were formally communicated to them in prison on Monday, October 26, 2026. On Wednesday, October 28, the three prisoners were transferred from the Greater Tehran Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.
Currently, the two women sentenced to imprisonment are being held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, while the three defendants sentenced to death, Amirreza Rezaei, Vahid Ghahremani, and Mehdi Jalali, are held in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj.
Background on January 2026 Protests:
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.
