Iranian Journalist Dies by Suicide in Protest Against Political Repression

Iranian journalist and political activist Kianoosh Sanjari died by suicide on Wednesday evening.

His act was a protest against the imprisonment of political activists and what he called "the dictatorship of Ali Khamenei."

The day before his death, Sanjari posted an ultimatum on X to Iran's judiciary.

He demanded the release of several political prisoners, including Fatemeh Sepehri, Nasrin Shakarami, Toomaj Salehi, and Arsham Rezaei, by 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Prominent political activists such as Hossein Ronaghi and Abdollah Momeni confirmed Sanjari's death in separate posts.

Sanjari had a long history of activism and journalism.

He served as a journalist for Voice of America in Washington and faced multiple imprisonments in Iran for his work. 

After spending several years in the United States, Sanjari returned to Iran in 2016, where he was immediately arrested and sentenced to 11 years in prison - five of those years to be served immediately, with six years suspended.

His sentence also included a two-year travel ban.

Sanjari left Iran for the United States in March 2021 but later returned to Iran.