Wounded protester Khalil Rasouli sentenced to prison, flogging and internal exile
Hengaw – Thursday, June 18, 2026
Khalil Rasouli, a Kurdish man from Bojnord, the capital of North Khorasan Province, who was wounded and arrested during the January protests, has been sentenced by the Iranian Judiciary to eight years in prison, 80 lashes, and two years of internal exile.
Information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights shows that Rasouli is serving his sentence under harsh conditions in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad despite a severe gunshot wound. Judicial authorities have also refused to apply Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, which limits the enforcement of multiple sentences to the most severe punishment.
Hengaw has learned that Rasouli was formally charged by the Bojnord Revolutionary Court in April 2026 during an unfair trial in which he was denied access to legal counsel. He was convicted of "inciting unrest," "propaganda against the state," and "destruction of public property" and sentenced to eight years in prison, 80 lashes, and two years of internal exile to Khash in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
Although Article 134 provides that only the most severe sentence—six years' imprisonment in this case—should be enforced, the judge informed Rasouli's family that the provision would not be applied and that he would be required to serve all imposed punishments.
Rasouli was seriously wounded in the leg after being shot twice with a handgun by government forces during protests in Bojnord on January 8, 2026. Hours later, while recovering at his family home, he was arrested and transferred to Bojnord Prison.
After his sentence became final, Rasouli was transferred to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad on May 2, 2026. He has been denied access to specialized medical treatment and surgery outside prison despite ongoing complications from his gunshot wounds. Sources report that infection-related complications and severe pain caused by the lingering effects of the injuries have left him in a deeply concerning physical condition.
