Darreh Shahr – Kurdish environmental activist Arman Shadivand publicly flogged for "insulting the president"

Hengaw – Tuesday, July 8, 2025 

The Iranian authorities have carried out the inhumane sentence of 30 lashes against Kurdish environmental activist Arman Shadivand in Darreh Shahr, Ilam province. 

According to reports received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the flogging was conducted on Tuesday, July 8, inside the Enforcement Office of the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Dareh Shahr. 

Shadivand was originally sentenced on March 17, 2025, by Branch 101 of the Second Criminal Court of Darreh Shahr for “insulting the president (Ebrahim Raisi).” He was acquitted of a separate charge of insulting Hassan Nasrallah. 

In a separate case, on December 30, 2024, Branch 2 of the Ilam Revolutionary Court sentenced him to eight months in prison for “propaganda against the state” and to one year and four months for “insulting the Supreme Leader in cyberspace.” The Ilam Court of Appeals upheld these sentences in full in May 2025. 

Shadivand faced two separate judicial proceedings after being indicted by the Darreh Shahr Prosecutor’s Office. He received two court summonses but attended only one hearing. 

He was first arrested on December 25, 2024, after being summoned to the Investigative Office in Darreh Shahr. He was released on bail the following day after posting a 700 million Tomans bond.