Uncertainty continues for Danyal Amini and Hamid Rizaneh, detainees from Iran’s January protests
Hengaw – Thursday, June 4, 2026
Nearly five months after their arrests, Danyal Amini and Hamid Rizaneh, two young men from Isfahan detained during the January 2026 protests, remain in legal limbo. Concerns over their fate have intensified following the broadcast of their forced confessions on Iranian state television.
According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, 19-year-old Hamid Rizaneh and 18-year-old Danyal Amini have remained in detention without a final judicial ruling since their arrests during the January protests in Isfahan.
Hengaw has learned that Hamid Rizaneh is currently being held in Dastgerd Prison, while Danyal Amini has been detained in a juvenile correctional facility. Following Danyal’s 18th birthday on May 27, 2026, concerns have emerged that he may be transferred to Dastgerd Prison.
According to informed sources, Danyal was expected to be released temporarily on bail during the war between Iran, the United States and Israel. However, due to procedural delays and the absence of the presiding judge, his release was postponed. Sources close to the family believe the delay was intended to keep him in custody until he reached adulthood and could be transferred to an adult prison.
State media broadcasts have further heightened concerns. Iranian state television aired videos of forced confessions attributed to both detainees.
In the televised statements, the two young men were portrayed as having been arrested following an alleged attack on a security officer. Under the recorded confessions, they claimed to have knocked the officer to the ground and struck him in the head with a metal bar.
According to informed sources, during interrogations Hamid Rizaneh was pressured to attribute the primary allegations to Danyal Amini because, as a minor at the time of arrest, Danyal could potentially receive a reduced sentence.
Hamid Rizaneh was arrested on January 2, 2026, and Danyal Amini, who was 17 years old at the time, was arrested on January 4, 2026, during protests in the Khaneh Esfahan district of Isfahan.
