Former Ahmadinejad Adviser and Three Journalists Sentenced to 91 Days in Prison

Ali Akbar Jovanfekr, a close associate of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been sentenced to 91 days imprisonment.

During Ahmadinejad’s presidency, Jovanfekr held an advisory position. He is known as a member of Ahmadinejad’s inner circle. However, over the past six years, he has faced several judicial proceedings.

In 2012, while managing Iran newspaper, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment on charges of publishing content contrary to Islamic standards and an additional six months on charges of publishing material contrary to public chastity standards, following the publication of a special issue about women.

Now, Jovanfekr told IRNA news agency that his charge was “disobedience to judicial and law enforcement officials in 2011.” After several years, the prosecution has filed a complaint against him and his former colleagues in the government employees court and opened a case file.

Previously, he was sentenced in two separate rulings to five years and one month imprisonment on charges of “conspiracy and collusion against national security,” and to two years imprisonment along with a fine of four million tomans and a two-year ban from cyberspace activities on charges of “insulting and spreading falsehoods about trial,” although these verdicts are subject to appeal.

The Telegram channel “Dolet Bahar,” attributed to supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also reported the issuance of 91-day prison sentences for “Saeed Yousefi Pour,” “Hassan Ghassemi,” and “Abdolreza Soltani,” former journalists at Iran newspaper.

Judicial actions against political figures close to Iran’s former president have occurred while, in recent months, U.S. intelligence agencies predicted in a report increasing conflict between different political factions and politicians of various spectrums in Iran.

Based on this prediction, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, will continue to oppose changes in Islamic Republic policies toward reform and moderation.

Previously, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in response to prison sentences for his close associates, called them unjust and threatened that those who ordered, carried out, and issued these sentences would soon be held accountable. To date, he has not reacted to Jovanfekr’s new sentence.

Voice of America