According to reports received by the Karun Human Rights Organization, Aria Gholizadeh and Abolfazl Hosseinzadeh, two Ahwazi political prisoners held in Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz, were released on Sunday, December 8, 2025, after nearly two weeks of detention, upon posting bail.
The two individuals had been arrested in November 2025 by security forces affiliated with the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC – Unit 114). On Monday, December 9, 2025, they were transferred from quarantine to Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison.
Previously, Karun reported that Aria Gholizadeh, 25, son of Jamshid, and Abolfazl Hosseinzadeh, 27—both residents of Gotvand—were arrested along with five other individuals on charges of “insulting Ali Khamenei” and “activity in cyberspace.” The detainees were held under the authority of the Dezful Revolutionary Court, spent 15 days in solitary confinement, and were subsequently transferred to Ward 5 of Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz.
Earlier reports also indicated that more than 80 Ahwazi youths arrested during security crackdowns following the outbreak of the recent Iran–Israel war had been transferred to Wards 5 and 8 of the same prison.
The sentences issued in these cases have been described as exceptionally harsh and unprecedented, including two death sentences and prison terms ranging from three to eleven years, reflecting the severity of the judiciary’s approach to these cases.
According to credible sources, following weeks of prolonged interrogations and severe physical and psychological pressure, the detainees were sentenced by Branch One of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Adibi Mehr, to:
- Five years’ imprisonment on the fabricated charge of “espionage and cooperation with Mossad”
- One year of discretionary imprisonment for “propaganda against the state”
- Two years of discretionary imprisonment for “insulting Ali Khamenei”
- Two years of travel ban
- Two years of compulsory participation in so-called “rehabilitation sessions” conducted by Basij and IRGC forces
In some cases, life imprisonment and even death sentences have reportedly been issued. Families and independent lawyers state that these rulings are based solely on confessions extracted under torture.
This situation persists despite repeated warnings by international human rights bodies regarding the systematic use of torture by the Islamic Republic of Iran to obtain forced confessions. The continued arbitrary detention and issuance of lengthy sentences against Arab political prisoners constitute a clear violation of human rights and have had a devastating impact on families and the social fabric of the Arab population in Ahwaz.
