Revolutionary Court Sentences Hossein Shabnazadeh to 12 Years in Prison

Amir Raeisian, the lawyer for Hossein Shabnazadeh, a translator, editor, and social media activist, announced the issuance of the Revolutionary Court's verdict for his client, stating that he has been sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison, of which five years are enforceable as the 'harshest punishment.' On Saturday, September 1, he discussed the details of this ruling with 'Shargh Network,' saying: The primary court sentenced Mr. Shabnazadeh to five years for 'propaganda activities in favor of the occupying regime of Israel,' four years for 'insulting sacred values,' and two years for 'spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion,' along with a fine of 50 million tomans. According to this lawyer, Hossein Shabnazadeh was also sentenced to one year of punitive imprisonment for 'propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic,' making five years of the total 12 years enforceable. Mr. Raeisian stated that one of the lawyers' objections to this case is that the accusation of propaganda in favor of Israel 'lacks a specific material element and only refers to his private chats.' He also mentioned that the court considered the publication of materials on social media as 'insulting sacred values,' and the ruling noted that 'Hossein Shabnazadeh's support for other security convicts, alongside 'blackening' the current situation, using the hashtag 'No to Execution,' supporting the unveiling, expressing joy over the death of Ebrahim Raisi, and creating a media atmosphere against the elections are among the examples of his accusations.' According to this lawyer, a decision will be made regarding an appeal against the issued verdict after consulting with Hossein Shabnazadeh. Amir Raeisian had reported on August 8 that the court hearing for Mr. Shabnazadeh's accusations was held in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, and an indictment was issued against him for insulting sacred values, insulting Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, and accusations such as 'spreading falsehoods, propaganda against the regime, and propaganda in favor of the Zionist regime.' Hossein Shabnazadeh, who was a well-known user on social media, was arrested on Tuesday, June 4, in Ardabil, and his account on X (formerly Twitter) was immediately made inaccessible. Before his arrest, Ali Khamenei's account on X had published a photo of him with members of the student national volleyball team, which had a caption without a period. In response, Hossein Shabnazadeh placed a single dot under this image without using any words. The Ardabil prosecutor, after Mr. Shabnazadeh's arrest, announced his accusations as 'connections with high-ranking Mossad officers,' 'insulting sacred values,' and 'attempting to leave the country,' but no evidence or documentation was provided in this regard. The Shabnazadeh family expressed concern about the allegations and accusations against Hossein, stating in a statement: 'The previous allegations and accusations against Hossein Shabnazadeh are being repeated and intensified while he still does not enjoy any of the basic rights of a 'prisoner.' A large number of users, after the arrest of Hossein Shabnazadeh, reposted the image of the Islamic Republic leader's statement and the dot that Mr. Shabnazadeh placed under it, writing that the government is afraid even of a 'dot' and used the term 'abduction' for Mr. Shabnazadeh's arrest. Hossein Shabnazadeh was also tried in 2019 for his activities on social media and charged with 'insulting sacred values and the leader of the Islamic Republic,' resulting in a prison sentence.