Yashar Soltani and Vahid Ashtari Released from Prison

Yashar Soltani, a journalist, and Vahid Ashtari, a media activist, announced their release from prison via posts on the social media platform X. Mr. Soltani, who was arrested on the eve of Iran's early presidential elections, reported his release on Monday, October 1st. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, announced on Sunday, June 9th, that Mr. Soltani has '17 plaintiffs' in a case against him, with charges of 'eleven instances of spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion,' leading to a sentence of one year and two months in prison. However, at that time, some political and media activists in Iran considered his arrest to be linked to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and one of the candidates for the presidential elections. This journalist, who had previously been imprisoned for exposing several corruption cases, shared a photo of himself on X, stating: 'I was unexpectedly imprisoned at a time that was certainly difficult. However, this second experience of imprisonment was extremely beneficial and different.' Soltani is known for revealing the case known as 'the astronomical properties of Tehran Municipality,' related to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's management. Additionally, Vahid Ashtari, a media activist and a figure associated with the so-called 'justice-seeking' movement, announced his release from Tehran's Great Prison. He is also known for exposing the news of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's family traveling to Turkey to buy baby supplies, which became known as the 'Baby Supplies Gate' scandal. Ashtari was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison by a lower court for reporting the beating of a soldier, which was later reduced to 14 months by an appeals court. On July 16, 2024, he had published an image of Qalibaf's complaint, responding to Qalibaf's statements that he had not sued any journalists, emphasizing: 'Qalibaf has personally sued me and other journalists multiple times.'