Humorist Kiymarth Marzban sentenced to 23 years and 9 months in prison
The defense lawyer for Iranian satirist Kiomars Marzban announced the issuance of a heavy sentence of 23 years in prison for his client and an appeal against this sentence.
Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, the lawyer for Kiyomars Marzban, a satirist imprisoned in Iran, announced on his Twitter page on Saturday, September 2nd, that his client had been sentenced to 23 years and three months in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, writing that "if the 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 useful life in prison."
According to this lawyer, Mr. Marzban's most important accusation is that he is connected to a "hostile state."
Kiyomars Marzban was arrested by IRGC intelligence agents in September 2018, a year after returning to Iran.
International human rights organizations and the United States government have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of expression and suppressing civil activists, and have called for the release of journalists and writers who have been imprisoned simply for carrying out their duties and professions.
Source: Voice of America
