Iranian Poet Farnaz Jafarzadegan Sentenced to Prison, Electronic Monitoring, and Travel Ban

Farnaz Jafarzadegan, a poet residing in Shiraz, has been sentenced by the judicial authority to imprisonment under the supervision of an electronic monitoring system, an electronic ankle monitor, and a two-year ban on leaving the country.

According to a report by the human rights news agency HRANA, the allegations brought against the poet include participating in campaigns opposing violence against women, “removing the hijab,” opposing the mandatory hijab, and opposing the death penalty. Furthermore, the issued ruling cites several of her poems, writings, and literary critiques, including works previously published with official permission from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, as evidence of “publishing falsehoods” and “disturbing the public mind.”

Farnaz Jafarzadegan was arrested by security forces in the early hours of January 15 at her personal residence in Shiraz. After being held for five days in solitary confinement at an undisclosed location, she was transferred to Shiraz’s Adelabad Prison and released on bail approximately fifteen days later.

The poet has a prior history of facing judicial and security crackdowns due to her civil and literary activities.