Mohammad Davari, Political Prisoner Rights Activist, Transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz

Mohammad Davari, a civil rights activist residing in Shiraz, was transferred to Adelabad Prison in the city on Tuesday, May 15, to serve his four-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The Revolutionary Court of Shiraz had tried this political science student from Golestan University in Shiraz last December on charges of 'insulting the leadership' and 'propaganda activities against the regime in favor of opposition groups.' He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, two years of exile to Bardasir County in Kerman Province, two years of travel ban, and deprivation of social rights, of which three years of his prison sentence will be enforceable. According to Voice of America, this political prisoner rights activist has refrained from participating in the investigation and Revolutionary Court proceedings in protest against the 'unfair trial process' and 'fabrication of cases by the Ministry of Intelligence.' According to the 'Human Rights in Iran' website, Branch 109 of the Criminal Court 2 of Shiraz also sentenced this former political prisoner last December to pay a fine for 'spreading falsehoods in cyberspace.' On May 15, Mohammad Davari announced in an Instagram post that his personal page would continue to operate through a 'dear friend' to 'be a thorn in the eyes of the enemies' with his activities. This political prisoner rights activist has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times. Amnesty International reported on April 23 in its annual report that the Islamic Republic has further restricted the freedom of expression of the Iranian people in the past year. According to 'Freedom House,' the Iranian government has been identified as one of the violators of freedom in the past year, and Iran continues to be recognized as a 'non-free' country regarding freedom indices. Reporters Without Borders also identified the Islamic Republic as 'one of the most repressive governments in the world' regarding media freedom, ranking Iran 177th out of 180 countries in terms of freedom of expression.