HRANA – At least 54 individuals arrested during the nationwide January 2026 protests are currently being held in the security ward of Ardabil Prison. HRANA has confirmed the identities of all 54 detainees. Of them, 25 have collectively been sentenced to 49 years and three months in prison, while the remaining 29 continue to be held in judicial limbo. The following report examines their identities and the latest developments in their cases.
According to HRANA News Agency, HRANA has confirmed the identities of 54 individuals arrested during the January 2026 nationwide protests in Ardabil Province.
HRANA’s findings show that, of the 54 identified detainees, 25 have been tried by judicial authorities in Ardabil and collectively sentenced to 49 years and three months’ imprisonment.
Below are the names of these 25 individuals, along with the latest available information on the status of their legal cases:
1. Ahmad Seifi
He was arrested by security forces during the nationwide protests. He was subsequently sentenced by a judicial authority to five years and three months’ imprisonment on political charges.
2. Peyman Dorvalizadeh
He was arrested during the 2026 nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to three years and six months’ imprisonment.
3. Peyman Dorvalizadeh
Following his arrest and the opening of a judicial case against him, Reza Nabidoost was sentenced by a judicial authority in Ardabil to one year and six months’ imprisonment. He is currently serving his sentence in Ardabil Prison.
4. Yashar Soufi
Yashar Soufi was arrested by security forces during the 2026 nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
5. Teymour Ghaznavi
Teymour Ghaznavi was arrested in connection with the nationwide protests in January 2026. A judicial authority in Ardabil sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment, and he is currently incarcerated in Ardabil Prison.
6. Ali Ahmadi
Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, Ali Ahmadi was sentenced to three years and six months’ imprisonment. He is currently being held in Ardabil Prison.
7. Mehdi Shirani
Mehdi Shirani was arrested during the nationwide protests in January 2026. After being tried in Ardabil, he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.
8. Amir Mohammad Zadehkhak
Amir Mohammad Zadehkhak was arrested by security forces in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests. A judicial authority in Ardabil sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment.
9. Alireza Hosseini
Alireza Hosseini was among those arrested during the 2026 nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
10. Amir Reza Sharifi
Amir Reza Sharifi was also arrested in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests, after which a judicial case was opened against him. He was ultimately sentenced by a judicial authority in Ardabil to one year and six months’ imprisonment.
11. Yavar Farahmand
Yavar Farahmand was arrested by security forces during the 2026 nationwide protests. Following the issuance of a verdict by a judicial authority in Ardabil, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and is currently incarcerated in Ardabil Prison.
12. Abbas Kowsari
Abbas Kowsari was also arrested in connection with last year’s nationwide protests. A judicial authority in Ardabil sentenced him to three years and six months’ imprisonment.
13. Mehram Azarm
Mehram Azarm was among those arrested in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and is currently serving his sentence in Ardabil Prison.
14. Masoud Norouzi
Masoud Norouzi was arrested by security forces in connection with the January 2026 protests. Following a ruling by a judicial authority in Ardabil, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
15. Sina Farzaneh-Vash
Like the other individuals on this list, Sina Farzaneh-Vash was arrested during the nationwide protests and, following trial proceedings in Ardabil, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
16. Amirhossein Baghermaleki
Amirhossein Baghermaleki was among those arrested in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests. A judicial authority in Ardabil sentenced him to one year and six months’ imprisonment, and he is currently being held in Ardabil Prison.
17. Milad Ashkani
Milad Ashkani was arrested during the 2026 nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.
18. Amirhossein Habibi
Following his arrest, Amirhossein Habibi was sentenced by a judicial authority in Ardabil to two years’ imprisonment. He is currently serving his sentence in Ardabil Prison.
19. Farshad Soltani
Farshad Soltani was among those arrested during the January 2026 nationwide protests. Following the opening of a judicial case and subsequent proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
20. Hossein Nemati
Hossein Nemati was sentenced by a judicial authority in Ardabil to six months’ imprisonment and is currently serving his sentence in Ardabil Prison.
21. Ahoura Jafarzadeh
Ahoura Jafarzadeh was arrested during the 2026 nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
22. Farid Hamzehzadeh
Farid Hamzehzadeh was among those arrested in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests. A judicial authority in Ardabil sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment.
23. Milad Sabri
Milad Sabri was arrested in connection with the 2026 nationwide protests. Following a ruling by a judicial authority in Ardabil, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and remains incarcerated in Ardabil Prison.
24. Behzad Majedi
Behzad Majedi was arrested by security forces during last year’s nationwide protests. Following judicial proceedings in Ardabil, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and is currently incarcerated in Ardabil Prison.
25. Mehran Abbasi
Mehran Abbasi was arrested in connection with the January 2026 nationwide protests and was sentenced by a judicial authority in Ardabil to six months’ imprisonment.
Meanwhile, 29 other individuals arrested in connection with the protests remain in detention without having appeared before a court to face the charges against them.
According to HRANA, the identities of these detainees have been confirmed as:
Farhad Jafari, Reza Javid, Mohammad Reza Asari, Armin Nadiri, Arian Hamidi, Sina Hassanzadeh, Ali Besharati, Mohammad Jalilolghadr, Faramarz Neshat, Keyvan Baram, Faramarz Taghizadeh, Heshmat Rasouli, Avaz Rastgouyan, Mohammad Reza Agah, Reza Mirzazadeh, Mehrdad Zoodfekr, Mahyar Pour Ebrahim, Ali Abdollahvand, Mohammad Gholizadeh, Mir Mohammad Mohammadi, Mohammad Rahbari, Mohsen Najafi, Ali Nobakht, Meysam Abdollahi, Bahman Zohri, Omid Ganjeh, Alireza Karimi, Ahmad Khodaei, and Meysam Alizadeh.
All of them remain in judicial limbo, having been held without any court hearing on the charges against them. In addition, a number of these detainees have been denied the right to telephone calls and family visits. Their families have also faced numerous uncertainties and significant restrictions imposed by the relevant authorities while attempting to obtain information about their cases or seek their temporary release.
According to information received by HRANA, approximately 800 citizens were arrested across Ardabil Province during the January 2026 protests. Of these, around 500 were released within the first ten days after their arrest, while nearly 250 others were later released on bail. As a result, at least 54 individuals arrested during the protests remain detained in the security ward of Ardabil Prison.
A source familiar with the proceedings, who spoke to HRANA on condition of anonymity for security reasons, stated: “Jalal Afaghi, the Prosecutor of Ardabil, has objected to the sentences handed down to 10 of those convicted, considering the punishments too lenient, and has asked the Supreme Court to impose harsher sentences.”
HRANA had previously reported on the arrest of a number of citizens in Ardabil in connection with the January 2026 protests, as well as the publication of videos described as “confessions” by some of the detainees. It remains unclear under what circumstances those videos were recorded.
HRANA’s efforts to obtain additional information regarding this case, including the specific charges brought against the detainees, the judicial proceedings, and the authorities responsible for issuing the sentences, are ongoing.
Background on the January 2026 Protests
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.
