Court rulings, arrests involving protesters, activists reported across Iran

Iranian authorities have upheld prison sentences and carried out new arrests in separate cases involving protest-related charges, a Baha’i citizen, and a university student, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

In one case, the five-year prison sentence of Mahmoud Talkh Abi, who was arrested during nationwide protests in late 2025, was upheld by Branch 16 of the Khuzestan Court of Appeals. He remains detained in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz on charges of “disrupting public order” under the Note to Article 286 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, News.Az reports, citing HRANA. The appeals court overturned additional penalties previously imposed by a lower court, including a travel ban and mandatory attendance at a state-run office programme.

Separately, the conviction of Rouya Ostovar, a Baha’i citizen from Isfahan, was fully upheld by Branch 47 of the Isfahan Court of Appeals. She was sentenced to five years in prison, a monetary fine, and a 15-year deprivation of social rights over allegations linked to “educational and promotional activities contrary to Islamic law” via a WhatsApp group, as well as one year for “propaganda against the regime”. Ostovar has disputed the evidence against her, saying the group had only nine members and mainly contained congratulatory messages and religious imagery.

In a third case, a court hearing in Sabzevar on 31 May involving teacher and artist Zahra Arefi Mehr ended with her arrest. She was accused of “propaganda against the regime” and “disturbing public opinion” in relation to social media posts and images connected to individuals killed during 2026 protests. She was transferred to Torbat-e Heydarieh Prison following the hearing, which she attended without legal counsel.

Separately, Ariana Kouchaki, a student at Sharif University of Technology, was arrested by security forces in Tehran on 1 June and taken to an undisclosed location. The university’s student council said no information has been provided on the reasons for his arrest or his place of detention. Kouchaki is an industrial engineering undergraduate who began his studies in 2021.

News.Az