Prison, Exile, and Virtual Activity Ban; Majid Tavakoli's Sentence Confirmed by Appeals Court

Majid Tavakoli, a political activist in Iran, announced on his Twitter account or the social media platform 'X' that the sentence issued against him was confirmed by the appeals court. He wrote: 'The ruling of Branch 36 of the Appeals Court was communicated to my lawyer today, and the verdict of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court was upheld. The ruling is final and executable.' Mr. Tavakoli added: 'Prison sentence: 5 years for conspiracy against national security, and 1 year for propaganda against the regime. Following that, additional sentences: 2 years of exile from Tehran, a ban on virtual activity, and a ban on leaving the country.' According to this political activist, 'Although the case was registered on Wednesday, August 16, in Branch 36 of the Appeals Court, and a supervision date was set, the ruling states that a decision was made in an extraordinary session on Sunday, August 20, and the judges Hozan and Khalili of the Appeals Court confirmed the ruling of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court (Amouzad). It is unlikely they reviewed several volumes of the case and the petitions.' He added: 'The ruling issued is based on writings and opinions from recent years and continues the suppression of thought and expression of these years. Although there is no evidence or documentation for conspiracy with others, this accusation was added from the beginning to issue a heavier sentence in the case and has reached this point based on conjectures and intelligence reports.' Majid Tavakoli stated on July 16, following the last court session in Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, that 'the final defense has been made, and I must wait for the issuance of the verdict,' saying, 'The Ministry of Intelligence insists on a heavy sentence.' International organizations have expressed concern in recent months regarding the increasing crackdowns on protesting citizens and political activists, protesting against the issuance of unjust and heavy sentences for them.