Iranian writer gets 12 years for single dot on X

Hossein Shanbehzadeh is a vocal critic of the Iranian regime and its leaders. He has been active on social media, supporting political prisoners and women protesting against the obligation to cover their faces and hair.

This is not the first time he has faced repression for his actions. In 2019, he was imprisoned for online posts deemed detrimental to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was charged with "insulting the sanctities and the leader of the Islamic Republic" and sentenced to six years in prison, served at Tehran's Evin Prison. This facility primarily holds political prisoners, and media reports highlight numerous abuses and serious human rights violations occurring there.

Shanbehzadeh was released before the end of his sentence in late March or early April 2024, but his freedom was short-lived. In June, he was detained again. The prosecutor's office in Ardabil stated that he was arrested while attempting to leave the country, allegedly assisted by Israeli intelligence agents.

Shanbehzadeh was arrested shortly after he reacted on the X platform to a post by Ali Khamenei, with whom he had previously had serious conflicts. The leader of Iran had posted an entry along with a picture of himself posing with the volleyball team.

Shanbehzadeh responded to the post with a single character: ".". His minimal reaction garnered more likes than the original post, drawing the ire of the Iranian authorities.

Hossein Shanbehzadeh was charged with multiple offenses, including spreading pro-Israeli and anti-regime propaganda, insulting Islamic sanctities, and disseminating lies online. In total, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. His defender, Amir Raisian, told the opposition Iranian newspaper "Shargh Network" that he intends to appeal the sentence.

Source: npr.org, jpost.com