Four Turkish activists sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison
Hengaw – Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Four Turkish activists, Abbas Lesani, Yusef Kari, Behzad Dashti, and Ali Kheirjou, have been sentenced by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a combined total of 40 years in prison.
According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the activists' trial was held on May 30, 2026. Abbas Lesani, Yusef Kari, and Ali Kheirjou refused to attend the hearing in protest against what they described as an "unfair judicial process."
The sentences were as follows:
Abbas Lesani was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of "forming and leading a group with the intent to disrupt national security," and an additional five years on charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security," for a total of 15 years in prison. The court also ordered the confiscation of his mobile phone.
Yusef Kari was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "membership in a group with the intent to disrupt national security," and an additional five years on charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security," for a total of 10 years in prison.
Behzad Dashti was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "membership in a group with the intent to disrupt national security," and an additional five years on charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security," for a total of 10 years in prison.
Ali Kheirjou was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security."
Under Article 134 of Iran's Islamic Penal Code, which governs the aggregation of sentences, only the most severe sentence imposed on each defendant will be enforceable.
The four activists were arrested on November 11, 2025, while taking part in a peaceful gathering outside Evin Prison in support of the sit-in protest by the families of political prisoners Taher Naqavi and Vadood Asadi. On November 18, they were transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility.
More than eight months after their arrest, Abbas Lesani and Yusef Kari remain in legal limbo in Hall 12 (Quarantine) of Ward 7 at Evin Prison. Ali Kheirjou and Behzad Dashti were previously released on temporary bail after each posted bail of six billion tomans.
