Child labor rights activist Mehdi Shafakhah sentenced to 27 months in prison

Hengaw – Sunday, September 6, 2026

Mehdi Shafakhah, an activist working on the rights of child laborers and education in underserved communities, has been sentenced by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a total of two years and three months in prison.

According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court recently sentenced Shafakhah to a total of two years and three months in prison on charges including “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.”

His trial was held before the same court in late June 2026. His brother, Reza Shafahkhah, a lawyer, announced the sentence.

Shafakhah works in education and supports child laborers and residents of marginalized communities. In recent years, he has volunteered with vulnerable children and adolescents, providing sports education and social-skills training aimed at reducing social harm.

Hengaw previously reported that Iranian forces arrested Shafakhah on May 12, 2026. Following the completion of his interrogation, he was temporarily released on bail in June.