According to Kurdpress, Shirvan Shirvani is known as a critical journalist who has worked mostly in the field of corruption, human rights and management problems of Badinan region and Kurdistan region. In 2020, he was arrested at his home in Erbil by security forces.

His arrest took place at the same time as a wave of arrests of other activists and journalists in Badinan; People who were later known as "Badinan prisoners".

In February 2021, the Erbil Criminal Court sentenced him to six years in prison on charges of "disrupting national security" and "espionage" - charges he and his lawyers strongly denied. This ruling was met with widespread domestic and international reactions.

While he was expected to be released due to a reduced sentence, the court issued a new sentence against him in July 2023, adding four more years to his sentence. The new charge of "forgery of fingerprints" was listed in an administrative filing instead of one of his convictions, but his lawyers say the case is merely a "legal pretext" to keep him in prison.

International organizations, including Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have described Shirvan Shirvani as a "prisoner of conscience" and demanded his unconditional release, because they believe his case has a political nature and is related to his journalistic activities.