KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An Afghan woman has been sentenced to five years in prison in Iran over her participation in nationwide protests in January, the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported on Thursday.
Hengaw identified the woman as Homaira Sharifi, saying she was detained during the January demonstrations and has since been moved between multiple detention facilities. She is now being held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran.
The group said the verdict was recently communicated to her, but details of the specific charges and the court branch that issued the ruling remain unknown due to what it described as a lack of judicial transparency in Iran.
The rights group said Sharifi has attempted suicide at least twice since her detention, most recently last week, amid deteriorating physical and psychological conditions. It said she suffers from a skin condition and severe psychological distress, and has been denied access to specialized medical care.
Sharifi does not possess identity documents, making her particularly vulnerable, according to the group.
The case comes amid a broader crackdown following protests that erupted across Iran in late December 2025 after a sharp decline in the Iranian rial triggered strikes in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and protests over inflation, currency depreciation, and worsening economic conditions. The demonstrations later spread to other cities and evolved into wider anti-government unrest.
Human rights organizations, including Hengaw, have reported tens of thousands of arrests in the aftermath, including foreign nationals, as authorities moved to contain the protests.
Iran has also intensified executions in recent months. According to Hengaw, at least 80 people were executed in May alone, including 17 political prisoners, with several cases linked to charges of espionage for foreign governments such as Israel and the United States.
Rights groups have accused Iranian security forces of killing thousands of protesters during the demonstrations, allegations that Iranian authorities have rejected.
