CPJ says 20 years could be enforced if Ghazanfari’s verdict is upheld. Omid Faraghat received 10 years and one day and a permanent public-sector employment ban; his cousin says the sentence remained unenforced and the family had challenged it.
Sole source: Committee to Protect Journalists.
Iranian courts sentenced photojournalist Artin Ghazanfari to prison terms totaling 26 years and journalist Omid Faraghat to lengthy imprisonment and a permanent public-sector employment ban, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in its 28 October 2026 account. Ghazanfari’s total is the sum of separate terms, rather than the period that could be enforced if the verdict is upheld.
Citing the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), CPJ said Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, sentenced Ghazanfari. He was arrested at his Tehran home on 19 January 2026 and is held at Greater Tehran Prison. He was notified of the verdict on 26 October.
| Offense named in the ruling | Prison term |
|---|---|
| “Media activities” | 20 years |
| “Assembly and collusion” | 5 years |
| “Propaganda against the state” | 1 year |
If the verdict is upheld, the longest individual term could be enforced. The family-linked source said the judge used the espionage legislation to exceed the first charge’s standard maximum of 10 years.
HRANA also said Ghazanfari has heart failure, high blood pressure and asthma. Prison doctors recommended specialized treatment outside the prison, but the judge reportedly refused to authorize a hospital transfer.
Branch 2 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Faraghat to 10 years and one day and permanently barred him from government and public-sector employment, CPJ said, citing his cousin Mohammed Faraghat and the Iranian news website Mashgh-e Solh. The stated offense was “media and propaganda activities by producing content and publishing false news online contrary to national security.”
His cousin told CPJ that the sentence had not yet been enforced and the family had challenged the ruling. He said the legislation reduced the appeal deadline from 20 days to 10 days.
CPJ’s regional director Sara Qudah said authorities were using espionage and national security laws to punish journalists for their work, sending a “chilling message” to journalists in Iran. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not answer CPJ’s emailed request for comment before publication.
CPJ called on Iranian authorities to overturn both convictions, immediately release the journalists and ensure Ghazanfari receives urgently needed medical care.
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