Ali Babri remains detained in Esfarayen; concerns over possible severe sentence

Hengaw – Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Ali Babri, a 21-year-old Kurdish resident of Esfarayen in North Khorasan Province, has remained in detention for 37 days after being arrested by Iranian government forces and transferred to an undisclosed location. He is at risk of facing a heavy sentence.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Babri was arrested on January 12, 2026, after government forces raided his family home in Esfarayen. The arrest was carried out without the presentation of any warrant.

State television of the Islamic Republic of Iran and affiliated media outlets have broadcast a forced confession video in which Ali Babri is presented as the “killer of a security martyr in Esfarayen.” The broadcast has intensified concerns about his legal fate.

Informed sources report that Babri was subjected to torture and coercion by government forces in order to extract these confessions.

He has so far been denied access to legal counsel and family visits and has been allowed only a single brief phone call with his family since his arrest.

No reliable information has been released regarding the formal charges, place of detention, or current condition of this detainee.