Abolfazl and Saman Eskandarian sentenced to prison and flogging following January protests

Hengaw – Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Abolfazl Eskandarian, 23, and his cousin, Saman Eskandarian, 19, two Kurdish men arrested during the January 2026 protests in Bojnord, have each been sentenced to two years and one day in prison, 74 lashes, and a fine of 22 million tomans by the city's Revolutionary and Criminal Courts.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Abolfazl Eskandarian and Saman Eskandarian were convicted in early July 2026 by Branch 105 of the Bojnord Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Yazdanali Eizanlou. Each was sentenced to two years and one day in prison on charges of "assembly and collusion against national security" and "propaganda against the state."

They were also each sentenced to 74 lashes and fined 22 million tomans on charges of "disrupting public order" and "disobeying law enforcement officers while on duty."

The two Kurdish men were arrested on Sunday, January 4, 2026, after security forces raided their family home without presenting a warrant. They were held for four days in an undisclosed detention facility, where they were subjected to severe physical torture before being transferred to Bojnord Central Prison.

After one month in detention, during which they were denied access to the lawyer of their choosing and barred from family visits, the two men were released on bail on February 3, 2026, pending the outcome of their case.