Hengameh Shahidi sentenced to 12 years in prison; announcement of charges prohibited
The lawyer for journalist Hengameh Shahidi announced that his client has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
Mustafa Turk Hamedani told the official Islamic Republic News Agency that in addition to being sentenced to 12 years and 9 months in prison, Ms. Shahidi has been sentenced to a 2-year ban from membership in groups and parties, online and press activities, and has also been ordered to leave the country.
Stating that the verdict was issued by Judge Salavati in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, the lawyer said that he could not reveal the details of the case due to security reasons.
However, a message published on the Twitter account of Hengameh Shahidi stated that the sentence was issued on charges of demanding a 9-year management report and criticizing the performance of Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the Judiciary.
The issuance of this ruling and the ban on disclosing its details have sparked criticism online. One lawyer asked: "Is the court ruling an interrogation document that the lawyer is prohibited from disclosing details of?"
This user wrote that such actions increase doubts about the fairness of the trials.
Hengameh Shahidi was prosecuted and arrested in July of this year on charges of insulting the head of the judiciary, based on the order of the Ministry of Intelligence and a ruling by the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office.
Before his arrest, he had accused Sadegh Larijani of corruption and incompetence in the judicial system in Twitter messages.
Source: Voice of America
