Iranian freelance photojournalist Artin Ghazanfari was sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, the court handed down the sentence based on charges of media activities, assembly and collusion, and propaganda against the state. The sentence was communicated to him on October 26, 2026, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a news agency run by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists in Iran.
A source close to Ghazanfari’s family who asked to remain anonymous told CPJ the journalist received 20 years for media activities, five years for assembly and collusion, and one year for propaganda against the state. According to the source, the judge invoked Iran’s 2025 anti-espionage law to impose the 20-year sentence, despite that charge usually carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. If the verdict is upheld, the longest individual sentence of 20 years could be enforced.
HRANA also reported that Ghazanfari suffers from heart failure, high blood pressure, and asthma. Despite prison doctors recommending specialized treatment outside Greater Tehran Prison, where he is being held, his transfer to the hospital has been refused by the judge. His appeal status remains unclear.
Ghazanfari, a member of Iran’s Bahá’í community, was arrested by Iranian security forces on January 19, 2026, at his home in Tehran. Security agents confiscated his electronic equipment, books, and other personal belongings.
On May 25, IranWire, an independent news outlet covering Iran, reported that 11 security agents entered Ghazanfari’s home with a judicial warrant, searched it for up to eight hours, and subsequently searched his workplace, confiscating professional equipment.
Ghazanfari is also a writer, podcast producer, and narrator. He contributed to the Persian-language podcast Mah-e Sizdahom (The Thirteenth Month).
Human rights groups say the Bahá’í, who are banned from practicing their religion in Iran, face systematic persecution, discrimination, and arbitrary detention. On January 16, 2026, Bahá’í photographer Navid Zarrehbin Irani was also detained.
Iran International reported on July 22, citing sources close to Ghazanfari’s family, that he had been subjected to physical and psychological abuse during interrogation, including beatings and repeated threats of execution. The sources said investigators had questioned him about private photographs and social media posts concerning economic conditions and interruptions to public services.
Iran International also reported that Ghazanfari faced allegations including conspiracy, propaganda against the state, promotion of the Bahá’í faith, and opposition to Islam. On July 29, Human Rights in Iran, a human rights monitoring organization, reported that Ghazanfari had appeared before Tehran’s Revolutionary Court to answer charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”
IranWire reported on September 17, citing a source close to Ghazanfari’s family, that he suffered from heart disease, high blood pressure, and a parathyroid condition. The source said a prison surgeon and an internal medicine specialist had recommended hospital treatment and surgery outside prison, but authorities had not approved his transfer. His family’s requests for medical treatment and temporary release on bail had also been unsuccessful.
IranWire reported on October 1 that Ghazanfari had appeared with his lawyer on September 29 at what the outlet described as the fourth and final hearing in his case, before Judge Salavati at Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Ghazanfari responded to charges including “deviant educational or propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law” under Article 500 bis of the Islamic Penal Code and “membership in a group with the aim of disrupting national security.”
Ghazanfari’s Instagram account has been deactivated.
Ghazanfari was among journalists detained after a nationwide internet shutdown began on January 8 as part of Iran’s bloodiest crackdown since the 1979 revolution. On December 28, 2025, demonstrations over economic grievances expanded into nationwide protests. The death toll has been impossible to verify due to the communications shutdown, with estimates in late January 2026 ranging from 3,000 to 30,000.
CPJ’s January 2026 email to the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York requesting comment did not receive a response. CPJ again requested comment in October 2026 regarding Ghazanfari’s sentence and medical condition but received no response before publication.