Isa Saharkhiz Sentenced to Six Months in Prison Two Months After Release

The lawyer of Isa Saharkhiz has announced that the journalist has been sentenced to six months in prison.

Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai told ILNA news agency on Wednesday, the 7th of Tir, that Mr. Saharkhiz was sentenced to six months imprisonment on charges of insulting the head of the judiciary in a court hearing held last week.

Mr. Saharkhiz’s lawyer believes that the charges against his client constituted a political crime, but according to him, the judge rejected this argument and ruled that the insult to the head of the judiciary was personal in nature.

Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai said he would appeal the verdict.

Mr. Saharkhiz’s six-month sentence comes after he was released from prison in Esfand of last year following completion of his previous sentence.

Mr. Saharkhiz was arrested in November 2015 along with four other journalists by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These arrests came after warnings from the Leader of the Islamic Republic about the danger of enemy infiltration and became known as the “Infiltration” project. After 10 months of detention and uncertainty, he was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to 21 months imprisonment.

Now, two months after his release, Mr. Saharkhiz’s lawyer has announced a new six-month sentence against the journalist.

The detention of journalists and the treatment of their activities in Iran have been recognized by human rights defenders as instances of violation of freedom of expression and human rights. In the latest response to human rights violations in Iran, more than 260 members of the European Parliament signed a statement condemning these violations two days ago.

Some members of the European Parliament had also called for the release of imprisoned journalists prior to Iran’s presidential elections.

Source: Voice of America