Athlete Saeed Mohammadyari sentenced to eight years in prison over January protests

Hengaw – Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Saeed Mohammadyari, a 36-year-old athlete and January 2026 protest detainee from Kuhdasht, Lorestan Province, has been sentenced by the Iranian judiciary to eight years in prison, internal exile, and additional restrictions.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Khorramabad recently convicted Mohammadyari on charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security," "propaganda against the state," and "insulting the Supreme Leader." He was sentenced to a total of eight years' imprisonment, two years of forced internal exile to Khoy, a two-year ban on using a smartphone and social media, and other social restrictions.

The verdict has been formally served on Mohammadyari.

Under the ruling, Mohammadyari received five years in prison for "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security," two years for "insulting the Supreme Leader," and one year for "propaganda against the state." Under Iran's sentencing aggregation rules, only the longest sentence, five years' imprisonment, is enforceable.

Mohammadyari was arrested on May 21, 2026, after appearing before the Revolutionary Court in Khorramabad in response to an electronic summons. Sources said the court's presiding judge verbally abused and insulted him before ordering his arrest. He was released on temporary bail one week later.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence forces had previously arrested Mohammadyari on February 8, 2026. He was held for two days at the agency's detention facility, where he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture. He was then transferred to Khorramabad Central Prison, where he remained in detention for a total of 23 days. He was temporarily released after families gathered outside the prison following missile strikes that hit areas surrounding the facility.