Majid Tavakoli Released on Bail Following Acceptance of Case Re-examination

Maryam Tabandeh, the wife of Majid Tavakoli, announced on Saturday, August 6, that "following the acceptance of the case re-examination by the Supreme Court and the issuance of an order to suspend the execution of the sentence, with bail obtained from the Tehran Court of Appeals, my dear Majid was released from Evin Prison this afternoon." Previously, Masoud Ahmadian, Mr. Tavakoli's lawyer, had announced in early February of last year that the request for case re-examination for this political prisoner had been accepted by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic, and that the "highest judicial authority in the country" did not find him guilty regarding the attributed charges. According to the ruling of Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals, which was communicated to his lawyer in September of last year, Majid Tavakoli was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the charge of "collusion and conspiracy against national security" and to 1 year for "propaganda against the regime." Additionally, "2 years of exile from Tehran, a ban on virtual activities, and a ban on leaving the country" were also issued as "supplementary sentences" for him. After that, Maryam Tabandeh announced on February 10 of last year based on a letter from the Ministry of Intelligence that this sentence had been confirmed. Ms. Tabandeh wrote on the social media platform "X" that in the "Intelligence letter" it was stated that this political prisoner was "seeking to overthrow the regime" of the Islamic Republic and "establish a liberal government," therefore, "the ruling of Branch 36 of the Appeals Court is confirmed in its entirety." Majid Tavakoli is a political activist in Iran who was first imprisoned in the second half of the 2000s due to student activism. He is known for writing and publishing political and social analyses about Iranian society. He was last arrested during the nationwide protests of 2022 and was temporarily released after 88 days. Mr. Tavakoli is currently serving his sentence in Evin Prison. Majid Tavakoli, a civil activist, was released from Evin Prison on Saturday, August 6, on bail following the acceptance of the case re-examination. His wife announced based on the "Intelligence letter" that the 5-year prison sentence for him was confirmed. There has been widespread protest against the continued detention of Majid Tavakoli; a "brave patriot" who is imprisoned "for the crime of writing."