The trial of Hossein Shanbehzadeh, an imprisoned translator and editor, was held on Wednesday at branch 26 of the Islamic Revolution Court of Tehran.
Shanbehzadeh faced eight charges, including "insulting holy places and leadership, and propaganda activity" in favor of Israel.
Amir Raisian, Shanbehzadeh's lawyer, said, "Yesterday, the trial of Mr. Hossein Shanbehzadeh was held. Mr. Shanbehzadeh presented his defense regarding the charges, and my colleague, Mrs. Saeedkhah, and I also expressed our defense."
The charges against Shanbezadeh include "insulting the sacred, insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the leader of the revolution, publishing lies, propaganda activity against the regime, and propaganda activity in favor of the Zionist regime."
The lawyers did not provide specific citations or examples of these accusations.
Authorities have not officially disclosed the reason for Hossein's arrest on June 5, but many point to a recent interaction on social media platform X as the catalyst behind it.
The incident involved Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's account posting his photo with the national student volleyball team. Shanbezadeh replied to Khamenei's tweet with a single character: a period.
This minimalist critique quickly went viral, with thousands of users reposting the exchange.
Many saw his punctuation as a bold statement, suggesting that even the slightest criticism – a mere dot – could rattle the government.
As news of Hossein's arrest spread, his supporters flooded social media platforms, using the term "kidnapping" to describe his detention.
He was also charged with "spying for Isreal," which he and his family strongly refuted.
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