350 Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike at Vakilabad Prison
Approximately 350 prisoners held in Hall 1 of the quarantine ward at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad have begun a hunger strike to protest the brutal beating of a political prisoner by prison officials.
According to reports, security officers and prison-appointed inmate enforcers severely assaulted the prisoner after accusing him of “disrespecting prison staff.” Witnesses say the beating was so violent that it left the prisoner unable to control his bladder and bowels.
Political prisoners in the ward were reportedly able to make brief phone calls to their families, informing them of the incident and urging international human rights organizations to closely monitor the alarming conditions inside the quarantine ward of Vakilabad Prison.
Political Prisoners at Saveh Central Prison Begin Collective Hunger Strike
Around 30 protesters who were arrested during the nationwide demonstrations of Bloody Dey 1404 (January 2026) and currently imprisoned at Saveh Central Prison in Central Province have launched a collective hunger strike.
The prisoners are protesting the harsh sentences imposed on detained protesters, the fabrication of security-related charges, proceedings before the Revolutionary and Criminal Courts of Cenyral Province, and the extraction of forced confessions through torture and other forms of abuse.
They have spent nearly six months in detention under extremely difficult conditions and have been denied access to independent legal representation and the right to a fair trial throughout their imprisonment.
The voices of political prisoners and families seeking justice must be heard around the world. Holding the officials responsible for these crimes accountable has become a central demand of countless people across Iran.
New Prison Sentences Against Teachers and Labor Activists
The Third Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz has issued new sentences against several labor activists and protesting teachers.
Ahmad Reza Nouchian, Mohammad Zaman Kamrava, Manijeh Afshari, Maryam Zelki-Nejad, and Kowsar Mombini have each been sentenced to three years of suspended imprisonment and banned from leaving the country for two years.
Security pressure against protesting teachers continues unabated. The Fars Teachers’ Trade Association has reported the arrest of Jan-Mohammad Ahmadi, head of the Teachers’ Association in Nurabad Mamassani; the summons of protesting teacher Kokab Bodaghi Pegah in Khuzestan; and the transfer of Masoud Farhikhteh to solitary confinement. The association has also reported the summons and detention of dozens of active and retired teachers.
On 16 July, the Revolutionary Court in Ilam sentenced retired teacher and social activist Ahmad Alizadeh of Abdanan to two years in prison (including time already served in detention) on charges of “propaganda against the state,” “propaganda in support of opposition groups,” and “insulting the founder and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.”
In addition to his prison sentence, he has been subjected to further punitive measures, including a one-year travel ban, cancellation of his passport, and 1,080 hours of unpaid community service for the municipality of Abdanan.
In Maneh County, North Khorasan Province, primary school teacher Arya Nourani was detained and held in prison for two weeks before being released on bail. Following court proceedings, he has now been sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment.
Another recent case concerns protesting teacher Reza Moslemi of Hamadan. On 30 June, he was sentenced to three years, and six months, and one day in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” and an additional seven months and sixteen days for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
The Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company has condemned the verdict and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
Teachers and workers continue to campaign for an end to the criminalization of peaceful activism. Their demands include the dismissal of all politically motivated security cases, the immediate release of all imprisoned protesters and political prisoners, an end to executions, and the abolition of the death penalty.
Free Them Now reflects the voice of protest across Iran. It calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, the abolition of capital punishment, and an immediate halt to all executions.
Free Them Now (FTN)