Iranian Activist Receives Additional 5-Year Prison Sentence

Iranian authorities have sentenced Mohammad Nourizad, a prominent Iranian civil activist currently incarcerated in Evin Prison, to an additional five-year prison sentence in a new case brought against him during his imprisonment.

According to a page associated with Nourizad, a hearing on the new charges was conducted via video conference on July 21, without Nourizad's presence. 

The activist was reportedly denied the opportunity to defend himself against the charges, which include the release of an audio file from prison.

This latest sentence adds to Nourizad's already lengthy incarceration. 

In February, he received a 61-month sentence in a separate case. 

Before that, in July 2023, he was sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Nourizad's current legal troubles stem from his arrest on August 11, 2019, when he was detained for participating in drafting an open letter, signed by 14 civil activists, calling for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

He was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison, three years of exile, and a two-year travel ban, according to the HRANA human rights website. 

Although the prison sentence was upheld on appeal, the exile and travel ban were reduced to two years.