Authorities keep protest detainee Hossein Sharifi Hosseinabadi in legal limbo

Hengaw – Monday, June 1, 2026

Authorities have continued to hold Hossein Sharifi Hosseinabadi, one of the individuals detained during protests earlier this year in Sabzevar, in legal limbo at Torbat-e Heydarieh Prison in Razavi Khorasan Province nearly four months after his arrest. Judicial authorities have yet to determine his case and continue to prolong his detention without providing a clear explanation.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Sharifi Hosseinabadi, 24, was arrested by government forces in Sabzevar on Friday, February 6, 2026. Following initial interrogations, he was transferred to Torbat-e Heydarieh Prison, where he has remained for nearly four months while being deprived of basic rights afforded to detainees.

An informed source told Hengaw that Sharifi Hosseinabadi was the sole provider for his family. His father lives with a severe physical disability and is supported by the State Welfare Organization. Since his arrest, the responsibility of supporting the family has fallen on his mother, who is struggling to cover even their most basic living expenses.

Despite persistent and repeated efforts by the family to secure his temporary release on bail, prosecutors and government authorities in Sabzevar and Torbat-e Heydarieh have refused to provide a clear account of his case. Instead, officials have repeatedly extended his detention, citing only that the case is “serious.”

His current whereabouts, legal status, and any charges against him remain unknown. Authorities have yet to disclose the specific allegations or criminal charges brought against the protest detainee.