Former political prisoner Soheil Arabi sentenced to five years in prison

Hengaw – Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Soheil Arabi, a Kurdish blogger, political activist, and former political prisoner from Bijar residing in Tehran, has been sentenced to five years in prison and a two-year ban on social media activity by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari.

According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the sentence was issued on Sunday, August 16, 2026, and formally communicated to Arabi following a trial held on Monday, August 10.

Arabi received five years in prison for “assembly and collusion with intent to commit a crime against national security,” along with a two-year supplementary ban on “employment, profession, or specific work related to the offense,” referring to social media activity.

Security forces arrested Arabi in Tehran in March 2026 and transferred him to Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. While held in solitary confinement, he was subjected to severe beatings and torture by interrogators. His injuries required treatment at a hospital outside the prison, after which he was returned to solitary confinement.

Arabi was previously sentenced to death in 2014 over his media activities. The sentence was later overturned following international and human rights pressure.