Sadegh Zibakalam Transferred to Prison on Charges of 'Propaganda Against the Regime and Dissemination of False Information'

Sadegh Zibakalam, a university professor and political analyst, was arrested on Sunday, May 13, while heading to a book fair for the unveiling of his book 'Why Aren't You Arrested?' and was transferred to prison. The Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, confirmed Zibakalam's arrest and stated that he has 'multiple legal cases' with three definitive and enforceable sentences. This judiciary-affiliated media also confirmed that Zibakalam's imprisonment is related to his comments and interviews with media and social networks, claiming that his statements are 'false' and 'without claim and evidence.' According to this report, Zibakalam has been sentenced to '18 months in prison and two years of prohibition from activities in parties, political groups, and cyberspace' for 'propaganda against the regime,' and in another case with the same charge, he has been sentenced to 'one year in prison.' Additionally, he has been sentenced to 'six months in prison' for 'dissemination of false information,' which has been confirmed despite an appeal to the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic. With the enforcement of these three sentences, Sadegh Zibakalam was arrested and transferred to prison on Sunday. Previously, in response to the question of why he was not arrested, which led to the writing of a book titled 'Why Aren't You Arrested?' he stated in a video that 'in fact, this question of why you aren't arrested has become like a nightmare for me.' Zibakalam had recently told Voice of America: 'With every tweet I write, I worry that the prosecutor will file a complaint against me.' The pressures and interventions of the Iranian government's security institutions in universities, as well as the crackdown on protesting professors and students, have intensified since September 2022, following the onset of nationwide protests.