Omid Goodarzvand Chegini, January uprising protester in Qazvin: death sentence upheld on appeal

The death sentence of Omid Goodarzvand Chegini, a 37-year-old resident of Qazvin who was detained during the January 2026 uprising, has been upheld on appeal. According to the Hengaw human rights organisation, whose report Voice of America published on Tuesday 6 October 2026, the sentence became final in mid-September 2026.

Mr Goodarzvand Chegini, a former member of the police force, was arrested on Thursday 8 January 2026 during the protests. Branch 2 of the Qazvin Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death several months ago on the charge of "destroying the entrance of the Qazvin governorate". He is currently held in Chubindar prison in Qazvin.

The vandalism charge and the death sentence

According to Hengaw, the charge that led to this protester's death sentence is damage to the entrance door of a government building. The organisation says he was denied access to a lawyer of his choice throughout the proceedings.

According to Hengaw, the prisoner was held in solitary confinement for about 40 days and subjected to severe torture during interrogation. Judicial officials of the Islamic Republic have not commented publicly on the case.

Omid Goodarzvand Chegini's death sentence on the charge of destroying the entrance of the Qazvin governorate has been upheld on appeal.

A wave of death sentences for January uprising detainees

The sentence was upheld as the Islamic Republic's judiciary has issued further death sentences for January uprising detainees in recent days. On 6 October it was also reported that Borzou Rezaei, a January uprising detainee from Kermanshah, had been sentenced to death.

At dawn on Monday 5 October, the Islamic Republic executed Alireza Sepahi and Alireza Raisi, two protesters in the Isfahan "Alikhani Square" case. According to Iran Human Rights, the number of recorded executions in the first nine months of 2026 has reached 604, including 33 protesters.

Human rights organisations warn that the risk of execution is serious for prisoners whose sentences have become final, and that some sentences have previously been carried out without the knowledge of families and lawyers.

Sources

• VOA Persian