Matin Shabani, a January uprising protester from Shandiz, sentenced to death

Branch 5 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court has sentenced Matin Shabani, one of those detained in the town of Shandiz during the Dey 1404 (January 2026) uprising, to death on a charge of "moharebeh" (waging war against God). News of the sentence emerged on Thursday, 5 November 2026.

Matin Shabani was arrested in Shandiz, near Mashhad, during the nationwide protests of January. His name had already appeared in August this year on a list of Shandiz detainees published by the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, which warned that the group faced heavy sentences and the risk of execution.

Shandiz detainees at risk

According to the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, Ilia Akbari, Sajjad Cheraghi, Farshad Hosseinpour, Majid Hosseinpour, Hossein Rasouli and Hossein Safarpour are among the other people detained over the Shandiz protests whose cases are before the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. In the same report the centre put the number of citizens in Mashhad at risk of a death sentence or execution in connection with the January uprising at no fewer than 20.

"Moharebeh" is the same charge the Islamic Republic's revolutionary courts have used in recent months to sentence protesters of the January uprising to death. DIAR has previously examined the role of three Isfahan judicial officials in the death sentences of January uprising protesters, a case in which several young protesters were executed.

Status of the sentence

Matin Shabani's sentence was issued by a court of first instance, and as of Thursday there was no news of it being upheld by the Supreme Court. No further details are available about the proceedings or his access to a lawyer.

Matin Shabani, a January uprising protester from Shandiz, has been sentenced to death on a charge of "moharebeh", and his life is in danger.