Latest Status of Three Young Protesters' Cases; Taraneh Alidoosti Banned from Posting Any 'Political Content'

The defense attorney for Bahareh Hedayat, Taraneh Alidoosti, and Mehdi Yarahi explained the latest status of her clients' cases, which were formed following their support for public protests. Zahra Minoui, a lawyer, stated on Sunday, March 18, that Bahareh Hedayat has not been on leave from prison but rather her sentence execution has been postponed until April 8. According to this lawyer, Bahareh Hedayat is currently outside of prison 'with a delay in the execution of her sentence'; 'leave counts as part of the prison term,' but if this political activist is returned to prison, the time spent outside does not count towards her sentence. The lawyer added that this political prisoner was 'sent to the hospital for surgery' and 'was in the hospital for one day' before being returned to prison, and 'the next day we received a notification of a 10-day delay in the execution of the sentence for continued treatment' until 'the second pathology response arrives.' Bahareh Hedayat, a political prisoner, previously announced her diagnosis of cervical cancer. Minoui also discussed her other client, Taraneh Alidoosti, stating that a 'six-month supervisory order' has been issued for this prominent actress. According to Alidoosti's lawyer, her new case 'in the Cultural and Media Prosecutor's Office relates to an Instagram post' by the actress 'about Armita Garavand,' and based on the issued supervisory ruling, she must 'not publish any posts with political content or public disturbance for these six months.' Taraneh Alidoosti is one of the cultural figures supporting the nationwide protests of 2022, and her name has appeared in leaked documents from the judiciary regarding cases against actors. Regarding Mehdi Yarahi's case, the lawyer explained that he is currently 'under electronic monitoring' with a one-thousand-meter movement restriction outside of prison and is 'waiting for the Nowruz leave directive' to visit his parents. Minoui said, 'We were waiting for the Nowruz leave directive to be able to request a few days of leave for him to visit his parents in Ahvaz, but as of yesterday, I know the directive has not arrived.' Mehdi Yarahi, who has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and 74 lashes, is currently serving his sentence outside of prison with an electronic ankle bracelet. The American PEN Association previously reacted to the ruling issued against this artist by the Islamic Republic's judiciary, stating, 'It is hard to understand a government that feels so threatened by a song that it sentences a beloved musician to a cruel two years in prison and 74 lashes. Unfortunately, this is not surprising in today's Iran.'