Satirist Kyomarth Marzban Sentenced to 23 Years and 9 Months in Prison

Kyomarth Marzban’s defense lawyer, an Iranian satirist, announced a heavy prison sentence of 23 years for his client and protested the ruling.

Mohammad Hossein Aghassi, lawyer for Kyomarth Marzban, an imprisoned Iranian satirist, announced on Saturday, the second of Shahrivar, on his Twitter page that his client had been sentenced to 23 years and three months in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. He wrote that “if this sentence is upheld, this talented young man, who has done nothing but write satirical articles and publish them in the media, will have to spend 11 years of his productive life in prison.”

According to the lawyer, the main charge against Mr. Marzban is described as having connections with a “hostile state.”

Kyomarth Marzban was arrested in Shahrivar 1397 by IRGC Intelligence forces, one year after returning to Iran.

Previously, international human rights organizations and the United States have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of speech and suppressing civil activists, and have called for the release of journalists and writers who have been imprisoned solely for carrying out their duties and professions.

Source: Voice of America