Mohammad Mahdavi Far, Chemical War Veteran, Imprisoned

Reports from Iran indicate that Mohammad Mahdavi Far, a chemical war veteran from the Iran-Iraq war known as the 'Poet of the Alphabet,' has been arrested and imprisoned. Mahdavi Far, who was a diving and demolition Basij member during the eight-year war, was previously detained for writing the Alphabet poem, which was later converted from a prison sentence to a monetary fine. In several letters published online, he has severely criticized the situation in Iran to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. His lawyer, Saeed Gholamian, stated that Mahdavi Far is currently serving his sentence in Isfahan prison. Gholamian expressed that he has no information about Mahdavi Far's current condition, as the family has been unable to meet him despite two contacts: one at the time of arrest and another upon his transfer to Isfahan prison. Gholamian noted that Mahdavi Far's initial sentence was three years in prison and four years of exile for insulting the founder and leader of the Islamic Republic and spreading falsehoods, but after their appeal, the sentence was reduced to two years without exile. He clarified that Mahdavi Far's current imprisonment is not related to the Alphabet poem, which had been converted to a fine in a previous case, but rather due to 29 letters he wrote to the Supreme Leader. According to his lawyer, Mahdavi Far has spent six months of his current sentence in Kashan prison, with one and a half months remaining. Gholamian reiterated his lack of knowledge regarding Mahdavi Far's current status, as the family has not been able to visit him.