Acceptance of Re-examination for Three Political Prisoners in Iran

Ali Sharifzadeh, a lawyer, announced that the judiciary has accepted his request for the re-examination of the cases of three political prisoners, thus sending the cases of Mehdi Maskinnavaz, Reza Mohammadi, and Mahbubeh Rezaei back to the Tehran Court of Appeals for reconsideration. On Sunday, March 3, he wrote on the social media platform X: "With the acceptance of the re-examination of Mehdi Maskinnavaz, Reza Mohammadi, and Mahbubeh Rezaei, the case has been referred to Branch 21 of the Tehran Court of Appeals for further review." According to this lawyer, he has requested a "stay of execution, issuance of appropriate bail, and release from prison" for these three political prisoners based on "Article 478 of the Criminal Procedure Code." Mehdi Maskinnavaz, Reza Mohammadi, and Mahbubeh Rezaei are three constitutionalist political prisoners who have spent years in prison due to their opposition to the Islamic Republic. According to a previous ruling by the Tehran Court of Appeals, Reza Mohammadi was sentenced to "14 years and six months in prison and a monetary fine" and is currently held in Qazalhasar Prison in Alborz Province. Additionally, Mahbubeh Rezaei, a monarchist political activist, was sentenced to "19 years and 9 months in prison and a monetary fine" for charges including "propaganda against the Islamic Republic," "membership in opposition groups," "insulting sacred values," and "removing the hijab." She is currently held in Evin Prison. Mehdi Maskinnavaz was first arrested in May 2019 for "activities in cyberspace and managing a Telegram channel with a subversive theme" by the intelligence forces of the Islamic Republic in Bandar Anzali and was sentenced to a total of 13 years and two months in prison, two years of forced residence in Faharj, Kerman, and a ban on membership in political parties and groups for charges including "collusion and conspiracy, acting against national security, insulting the leadership, and propaganda against the regime." On January 17, 2023, in protest against a wave of "executions and repeated cuts in phone contact with his family," he attempted self-immolation by pouring boiling water over himself in Evin Prison and spent weeks in the hospital. After being conditionally released for a few months, he was transferred back to Bandar Anzali Prison.