Exclusive; New Sentences of Imprisonment and Flogging Issued Against Majid Khademi, Political Prisoner in Behbahan

A knowledgeable source informed Voice of America that Majid Khademi, a political prisoner serving his sentence in Behbahan, has been sentenced to more than four years in prison and 45 lashes in a new case. On Wednesday, October 5, the source told the Persian section of Voice of America that Majid Khademi, who is serving his '10-year imprisonment' sentence in Behbahan prison, has been sentenced to 'three and a half years of imprisonment' for the charge of 'arson' and '10 months of imprisonment and 45 lashes' for the charge of 'disturbing public order' in another case at Branch 102 of the Criminal Court in this city in Khuzestan province. According to a previous exclusive report by Voice of America, Majid Khademi was summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office of Behbahan on August 7 due to a complaint from the prosecutor regarding 'buying, selling, storing, transporting, concealing, or making explosive materials and disturbing public order and tranquility and destruction and arson with explosives.' Previously, Majid Khademi had been sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Mahshahr to 10 years and three months of imprisonment, of which six years and three months are enforceable, along with a two-year travel ban and deprivation of membership in political and social groups. He is currently serving this sentence in Behbahan prison. Majid Khademi was first arrested in December 2019 by the Ministry of Intelligence. At the time of his arrest, he was a final-year undergraduate student at Azad University in Behbahan, but he was subsequently 'banned from studying.'