IranWire has obtained information revealing that dozens of young men, mostly aged between 18 and 25, across various cities in Khuzestan Province have been detained since the 39-day war. Facing stereotypical security allegations such as “acting against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” “membership in and affiliation with opposition groups,” and “collaboration with Israel and Mossad,” they were sentenced to years in prison through “summary trials” often lasting merely 10 to 15 minutes.
Previously, the Karoun Human Rights Organization reported that over 600 political and ideological prisoners are currently held in Sheiban Prison, with at least 301 locked in its quarantine wing for an extended period. Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz, presided over by Judge Ehsan Adibi-Mehr, issued harsh sentences, including “20 years and 1 day, 15 years and 1 day, 10 years and 1 day, 7 years and 1 day, and 5 years and 1 day,” against an unconfirmed number of these youths.
An informed source told IranWire that the rulings are so severe, baseless, and devoid of supporting documentation that veteran prisoners in Sheiban remark that such sentences have not been seen since the era of Sadegh Khalkhali.
What Do We Know About Khuzestan’s Political and Ideological Prisoners?
A report published by the Karoun Human Rights Organization on Thursday, August 20, 2026, states that following a broad wave of arrests surrounding the 39-day war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, more than 600 political and ideological prisoners are being held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.
According to the report, 185 individuals are held in Ward 8 (the ideological prisoners’ ward), 120 in Ward 5, and over 310 in the quarantine section of Sheiban Prison. Expressing deep concern over the rising number of political and ideological detainees and their judicial processing, Karoun noted that “a significant portion of recent arrestees hail from Ahvaz, Fallahiyeh (Shadegan), Izeh, Behbahan, and Masjed Soleyman,” with the vast majority aged between 18 and 25.
Karoun’s report highlighted that hearings were conducted “inside the prison” via “video conference” and, in many cases, “in bulk.” The report added that most of these young men were denied access to legal counsel and the right to a proper defense.
The organization identified the primary charges as “acting against national security,” “spying for Israel and Mossad,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “membership in or affiliation with opposition groups.” Judge Ehsan Adibi-Mehr handed down heavy prison terms, though specific details regarding the exact number of sentenced individuals, their identities, and individual sentence lengths were not fully detailed in the release.
An informed source told IranWire that most sentences are “10 years and one day.” That extra day in Sheiban Prison signifies a locked sentence, signaling to prisoners that they will not receive clemency, pardons, or sentence reductions.
The source explained that the trials were exceptionally brief and conducted in groups for co-defendants within a single session. Rulings were issued without evidence or supporting documentation, leaving young prisoners in 10- to 15-minute court sessions without a chance to defend themselves.
Comparing these court sessions to “field summary trials,” the source noted: “Veteran political prisoners say we haven’t seen trials like these since the days of Khalkhali. When Judge Adibi-Mehr arrives, he acts pleasant, making prisoners believe he is about to release them. But after sending them back to the ward or quarantine, he cuts sentences for them that go beyond sheer injustice.”
According to this source, “there were individuals given severe prison terms without having committed any crime. They did nothing at all, and all charges against them were fabricated. The court presented no evidence, neither photos nor video. Interrogators simply claimed these youths engaged in activities, picked them up, subjected them to 10- to 15-minute summary trials, and handed down such sentences.”
From Assembly Line to Consumption: Interrogations, Trials, and Incarceration Inside Sheiban
The source who spoke to IranWire suggested that because intelligence detention centers run by the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC in Ahvaz are overflowing, all procedures for detainees of the 39-day war are being conducted directly inside Sheiban Prison, from interrogations to trials and the serving of sentences:
“They interrogate and try them inside the prison and keep them there. Previously, they kept people in quarantine for a week or two at most before moving them to standard wards. But where can they put them now? Is there any ward with space left? The prison’s total capacity is 2,000, but there are over 4,000 inside now. No pardons apply, and they don’t release them. Their biggest ‘concession’ is reducing life sentences to 25 years. That is their masterpiece.”
Emphasizing that the exact number of individuals facing long-term sentences remains unavailable, the source stated: “There is a massive crackdown in Ahvaz these days. In a single month, they arrested around 60 ideological prisoners alone. Anyone seen offering prayers with folded arms is picked up and sent to Sheiban. If only they had space for all these arrests, but they don’t; they just abandon everyone to their fate.”
This refers to reports of widespread citizen arrests in Iran’s Khuzestan Province in recent weeks. In one instance in June, Karoun reported the arrest of 29 Sunni citizens in Kut Abdullah, a suburban area of Ahvaz, including a 61-year-old citizen named Abdul-Hossein Badawi. In another instance in April 2026, 42 citizens were detained on charges of communicating with foreign media outlets.
The source emphasized that hygienic, living, and medical resources in Sheiban Prison are severely inadequate for the surge of detainees: “They don’t ask themselves how they plan to manage healthcare, doctors, or living conditions. Some of these new young detainees wake up screaming in the middle of the night, not knowing what is happening. Completely innocent people were picked up on espionage charges and thrown in prison. In the past, even a spy case had some weight; now they throw young kids into prison on espionage charges, hand out 20-, 10-, and 7-year terms, and leave them to their fate without basic resources.”
“No Due Process, Even Under the Islamic Republic’s Own Laws”
Ahmad Hamid, an Ahwazi Arab lawyer and spokesperson for the Karoun Human Rights Organization, told IranWire that following last year’s 12-day war and this year’s 40-day war, the Islamic Republic executed widespread arrests under various pretexts. He explained that the regime has not only “arrested and accused activists of separatism, Salafism, membership in extremist organizations, and espionage or collaboration with Israel and the U.S.,” but has also killed some citizens.
IranWire previously obtained shocking information regarding the situation of individuals detained during the 12-day war. At the time, a relative of one detainee held in Ahvaz’s Sheiban Prison told IranWire that those arrested during and immediately after the 12-day war “simply want to stay alive.”
According to the source, nearly all individuals arrested during the 12-day war in Khuzestan are under 30 years old. Held in Ward 5 amid various diseases spreading from one prisoner to another, none hold hope of leaving the prison alive.
In August 2025, officials of the Islamic Republic announced the arrest of 21,000 Iranian citizens on charges of collaborating with Israel. According to reports by Karoun at that time, dozens of people in Khuzestan Province were detained on identical charges, with at least 70 receiving prison sentences ranging from 5 to 13 years. Informed sources told IranWire that the presiding judge in these cases was Ehsan Adibi-Mehr, who, in recent years, has issued numerous death sentences for Arab and non-Arab activists in Khuzestan.
Now, according to Mr. Hamid, “more than 600 political and ideological prisoners are currently held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz.” Beyond these detentions, the regime has repeatedly announced operations across various regions of Khuzestan Province over the past year and several months, reporting citizen casualties in clashes involving the Ministry of Intelligence or the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization: “A few months ago near Ahvaz, the Ministry of Intelligence announced it had killed five people and arrested several others.”
The lawyer was likely referring to news published by state media in April, which cited the Ministry of Intelligence’s public relations department as reporting the “elimination of five separatist terrorists and the arrest of several agents affiliated with the enemy in Khuzestan.”
Emphasizing that “the Islamic Republic has repeatedly proven that whenever it senses an existential threat or the potential for a popular uprising against the regime, it resorts to mass arrests, widespread killings, or long prison terms,” Mr. Hamid stated: “This has a clear precedent in our region. These arrests, trials, and heavy sentences do not follow the principles of criminal procedure at all; even the laws of the Islamic Republic itself are ignored. As noted in our report, the Revolutionary Court, under Judge Adibi-Mehr, known as the ‘Judge of Death,’ much like Judge Salavati in Tehran, issued these harsh rulings.”
The spokesperson for the Karoun Human Rights Organization added that the trials for the youths and teenagers arrested during and after the war were conducted as “formalities” and “show trials,” often held via video conference inside the prison without physical court appearances: “Most lack chosen legal counsel, and even court-appointed lawyers do little to help. Extremely heavy punishments were handed down, and currently, more than 300 individuals are held in the quarantine wing.”
The human rights lawyer concluded by pointing to the unlivable conditions inside Sheiban Prison: “Unfortunately, basic amenities and living conditions in Sheiban are severely lacking. A short while ago, the prison lost power for several days; amid 50-degree Celsius heat and overcrowding, prisoners endured extremely harsh conditions. Various illnesses spread among them, and we stress that the prison’s facilities are completely inadequate for this volume of detainees. A disaster is unfolding against the prisoners in Sheiban Prison.”