HRANA – The five-year prison sentence of Parnian (Fatemeh) Hashempour, arrested during the January 2026 protests, has been reduced to two years on appeal. She is currently serving her sentence in Evin Prison.
Based on information received by HRANA, Ms. Hashempour has been sentenced by the Court of Appeals to two years in prison on the charge of assembly and collusion. At the trial court stage, she had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on the same charge by the judiciary.
HRANA’s investigation into the details of the current case, including the judicial authorities that issued the ruling, is ongoing.
Hashempour was arrested in connection with the nationwide protests of late December 2025 and January 2026. After spending several days in solitary confinement, she was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on December 31, 2025.
Parnian (Fatemeh) Hashempour, who holds a master’s degree in archaeology, was also arrested in 2022 and was detained for a period in Qarchak Prison in Varamin. She was ultimately granted amnesty and released in that case.
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.
