Ardeshir Fanaian

Extra Bio Info:

Ardeshir Fanaian is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On April 30, 2019, authorities arrested Fanaian and took him to an undisclosed location after police raided his home.  He and two others were accused of “unlawful membership of an illegal group aimed at disrupting domestic security,” “participation in, formation and administration of an unlawful group intended to unsettling national security inside the country,” and “taking part in action against the Islamic Republic regime in favor of opposition groups.” He was reportedly denied access to a lawyer.

In June 2019, Fanaian's furlough request to attend his father's funeral was denied.

In October 2019, Branch 1 of the Semnan Revolutionary Court reportedly sentenced Fanaian to ten years in prison for “founding or leading an organization that aims to disrupt national security" (Art. 498) and "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC).

In December 2019, it was reported that the Appeals Court of Semnan reduced Fanaian's sentence to six years in prison.

In August 2020, Fanaian was granted a short prison furlough to marry his fiancée, Golrokh Firouzian (also spelt Golrokh Firuzeyan). 

In February 2023, it was reported that although a judge in Semnan consented to his release, the Semnan Intelligence Ministry has refused to grant permission.

In March 2025, Iranian authorities released Fanaian from Semnan prison. Interlocutors report that he spent more than half of his six-year prison term in solitary confinement. 

Prior to his most recent arrest, Fanaian spent eight months in prison in the early 2010s for allegedly "proselytizing Baha’ism."

Rep. Jan Schakosky (D-IL) advocated for Fanaian as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.