January protest detainee Vahid Khan Sanami sentenced to death on “moharebeh” charge

Hengaw – Sunday, July 5, 2026

Vahid Khan Sanami, who was detained in connection with the January protests and is currently held at Great Tehran Penitentiary, has been sentenced to death by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran on a charge of “moharebeh (Waging war against God).”

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati, recently sentenced Khan Sanami to death. The ruling, issued on the charge of “moharebeh,” has been formally communicated to him.

Informed sources told Hengaw that Khan Sanami’s trial was held before Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court in May 2026.

Khan Sanami was arrested in March 2026 in connection with the January protests. Following an extended period of intense interrogation, he was transferred to Great Tehran Penitentiary, also known as Fashafouyeh Prison, where he remains held under harsh conditions.

The use of broadly defined religious charges such as “moharebeh” and the imposition of death sentences against protesters constitute serious violations of the fundamental right to life and fair trial standards under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party. Hengaw has previously warned of a new wave of death sentences being issued by branches of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court.