Eisa Saharkhiz, Imprisoned Journalist, Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Eisa Saharkhiz's lawyer has reported that his client has been sentenced to three years in prison. At the same time, the head of the Criminal Courts in Tehran Province announced that the first 'political crime case' in Iran regarding another charge against Mr. Saharkhiz has been established in this court. According to ILNA news agency, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Eisa Saharkhiz's lawyer, announced on Tuesday, August 9, that his client has been sentenced to two years in prison for 'insulting officials of the regime' and one year for 'propaganda against the regime.' He also stated that Eisa Saharkhiz was acquitted of the charge of 'collusion and conspiracy against national security.' Alizadeh Tabatabai had previously announced on July 21 that the handling of his client's case for 'insulting' the head of the judiciary is 'the first political crime trial in the history of the Islamic Republic' to be held 'with the presence of a jury.' He reported that the court did not accept that charges such as 'spreading falsehoods' or 'insulting the leadership' be examined as political crimes. Meanwhile, according to Tasnim news agency, Mohsen Eftekhari, head of the Criminal Courts in Tehran Province, announced on Tuesday that 'the first political crime case' has been established with the referral of Eisa Saharkhiz's case to the Criminal Court in Tehran Province. According to Mr. Eftekhari, this journalist's case had previously been sent for handling to the Government Employees Judicial Complex, but due to the approval and notification of the new political crime law, this prosecutor's office referred the case to the provincial criminal court for handling. He announced that the handling of this case is contingent upon the formation of a jury, and the reviewing branch has not yet been specified. Meanwhile, Mr. Saharkhiz's lawyer stated that his client has two cases in the Government Employees Prosecutor's Office, one of which related to the charge of 'spreading falsehoods' has been handled, but the verdict has not yet been issued. According to Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai, Branch 1057 of the Government Employees Prosecutor's Office considered Mr. Saharkhiz's charge of 'insulting the head of the judiciary and the former president' as a case of political crime and referred it to the Criminal Court in Tehran Province for handling as a political crime. Eisa Saharkhiz was arrested on November 2, 2015, along with Ehsan Mazandarani, Saman Safarzadeh, and Afrin Chitsaz and has been imprisoned since then. His family and lawyers say that he suffers from various illnesses and should be entitled to medical leave. The lawyer of this imprisoned journalist states that he 'cannot endure imprisonment' and 'the prison has also stated that it is not possible to keep him in prison.' According to Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai, his client has spent eight months of his nine-month detention in the hospital. He added: 'We have requested that Mr. Saharkhiz be sent to forensic medicine, and if they determine that he cannot endure imprisonment, my client should be released by court order.' The lawyer of this imprisoned journalist emphasized that 'this issue is a legal obligation according to the new procedural law.' Eisa Saharkhiz was also arrested in July 2009 following widespread arrests of journalists and was sentenced to three years in prison for 'insulting the leadership and propaganda against the regime,' from which he was released on October 3, 2013.