18-Year Prison Sentence Issued for Reza Shahini

Reza (Robin) Shahini, an Iranian-American citizen imprisoned in Iran, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. The Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, October 25, that his charges include 'collaboration with hostile governments, actions against national security, and connections with anti-revolutionary elements and media.' Previously, charges against Mr. Shahini included 'actions against national security, participation in the protests of 2009, collaboration with Voice of America, and insulting sacred values on social media (Facebook).' On Monday, October 24, Shahini denied the accusations of espionage and collaboration with a hostile government in an interview with the website 'Vice News,' calling the ruling 'ridiculous.' He stated that Iranian judicial authorities accused him of supporting protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election, citing images and posts from his Facebook page and personal blog as evidence. Shahini added that he would go on a hunger strike in protest of the ruling until it leads to either his freedom or death. Iranian judicial authorities have not yet commented on the prison sentence for Shahini. The Associated Press also reported that its attempts to contact Iranian judicial officials, the Iranian mission to the United Nations, and the U.S. State Department for a response regarding Shahini's sentence have so far been unsuccessful. Shahini's girlfriend told Radio Farda that 46-year-old Reza (Robin) Shahini, a resident of San Diego, California, was arrested on July 12 by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at his mother's home in Gorgan. Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, the spokesman for Iran's judiciary, confirmed on July 25 that Shahini's case was transferred to Tehran for review. Reza Shahini is a graduate in 'International Security and Conflict Resolution' from San Diego State University and had been living in the U.S. for 16 years. In recent months, several dual citizens have been arrested and imprisoned in Iran. Nazanin Zaghari and Kamel Faroughi, two Iranian-British citizens, and Siamak Namazi and his father Baqer Namazi, Iranian-American citizens, are among these individuals. Nazanin Zaghari has been sentenced to five years in prison, while her husband claims that her exact charges are unclear. Siamak Namazi and Baqer Namazi have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly collaborating with the U.S. government. Several human rights organizations and some Western countries have called on the Iranian authorities in recent months to release these individuals. The U.S. and the U.K. warned their citizens last summer that travel to Iran may pose a risk of arrest. In this context, the U.S. has issued another warning to its citizens, especially dual nationals, regarding travel to Iran.