Vafa Ahmadpour, an Iranian rapper known by his stage name "Vafadar", appeared before a Revolutionary Court in Shiraz on Wednesday.
He faces charges of "assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security through collaboration with the Islamic Republic's opponents."
The rapper dedicated songs to Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini, two protesters who were executed in January 2023 for participating in the 2022-23 protests.
The trial session marks the latest development in a series of legal troubles for the artist, who has been in and out of custody since early this year.
Ahmadpour presented his defense against the allegations during the hearing, the details of which have not been made public.
The current case stems from Ahmadpour's arrest on May 9, when security forces apprehended him in Shiraz.
Following his arrest, he was initially held at the Ministry of Intelligence's detention facility in Shiraz and was subsequently transferred to the central detention facility at Adelabad Prison.
The singer's legal woes began earlier this year when he was first arrested in February at his residence.
After spending over two weeks in detention, he was released on bail from Evin Prison.
Following that incident, the Revolutionary Court sentenced Ahmadpour to one year in prison on charges of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic."
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