Khalid Pirzadeh Sentenced to Five Years and Eight Months in Prison; Informed Source: Still Using 'Anti-Seizure' Medication

Khalid Pirzadeh, a political prisoner held in Evin, has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison on charges of 'conspiracy and collusion' and 'propaganda against the regime.' An informed source close to Khalid (Koushan) Pirzadeh told Voice of America on Tuesday, January 8, that the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced this political prisoner to 'five years in prison' for the charge of 'conspiracy and collusion against national security' and 'eight months in prison' for the charge of 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' According to this report, Khalid Pirzadeh was acquitted of two charges: 'spreading falsehoods' and 'acquiring unlawful property.' The informed source regarding Khalid Pirzadeh's physical condition stated that he is still 'using anti-seizure medication' and has also had 'one physical therapy session in Evin prison.' In previous days, Khalid Pirzadeh had gone on a hunger strike in prison in protest against 'pressures such as the freezing of his wife's bank account.' Previously, an informed source had told the Persian section of Voice of America on Tuesday, December 12, that after interrogation, his indictment was issued, and the case was sent to Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court for his trial. Khalid (Koushan) Pirzadeh, a former bodybuilding champion of Iran, was first arrested by government forces in June 2019. In February of the same year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison by Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by 'Mohammad Mogheiseh,' on charges of 'conspiracy and collusion' and 'insulting the leadership.' This athlete, who won third place in the 'World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation' competition in Singapore in 2018, had gone on hunger strikes multiple times during his imprisonment. This political prisoner, a constitutionalist, was released from prison in February 2023 under conditions where he was unable to walk, and his physical condition was reported to be critical due to spinal injuries from broken vertebrae and anxiety disorders. After that, with continuous access to medical services, he regained a significant portion of his health. Pouran Nazemi, a human rights activist in Iran, recently told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic has no intention of backing down, reforming, or retreating, and it cuts off the economic lifeline of activists and political prisoners; however, the world remains indifferent to this issue, and a government that is the biggest violator of human rights occupies the most important human rights seat in the world.