Six Years in Prison and Defrocking for Cleric Criticizing Shia Historical Narratives

Abdulrahim Soleimani Ardestani, a religious scholar, professor at Mofid University, and member of the Assembly of Clerics and Scholars of the Qom Seminary, has been sentenced by the Special Clerical Court to six years in prison, a monetary fine, and defrocking, meaning permanent removal of his clerical garb.

Soleimani, who is currently being held in Qom Prison, had previously announced that he faced a series of charges, including "disturbing the public mind," "insulting sanctities," "insulting the Supreme Leader," "propaganda activity against the regime," "publishing falsehoods via computer systems," "assembly and collusion against domestic security," and "gathering in protest against the house arrest of Mir-Hossein Mousavi."

In a letter published from prison on May 29, the religious scholar also revealed that charges such as "insulting Shia sanctities," "insulting sources of emulation (Maraji)," "defaming the clergy," and even "mind control and psychological indoctrination" had been brought against him. In the same letter, he criticized the process of his arrest, his detention in solitary confinement, and the denial of family visitations, describing the text of the indictment issued against him as "weak and baseless."

Soleimani had emphasized that he does not recognize the court handling his case as legal and wrote his defense statement not to seek acquittal, but rather "for the record of history."

The cleric was arrested by security forces on March 21 in the village of Baluqlu, part of Saveh County. After being held for a period in Langaroud Prison and solitary confinement, he was transferred to Qom's Saheli Prison.

The case of Soleimani Ardestani gained prominence after his remarks regarding certain Shia religious narratives in December 2025 provoked widespread reactions among religious factions and state-run media outlets. In his speeches, he had expressed doubts regarding certain narratives surrounding the killing of Fatima Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet of Islam, as well as Jawad, the ninth Shia Imam.

In the days following the publication of these remarks, a wave of media attacks formed against him, and videos were released showing several state-backed eulogists (Maddahan) criticizing him with harsh and insulting language during religious gatherings. Reports were also published regarding a mob gathering and attacking the cleric's home. Conversely, a number of social media users and civil activists supported Soleimani, condemning the crackdowns and attacks directed at him.