Reza Valizadeh, a journalist currently detained in Evin Prison, has been sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to 10 years in prison, a two-year ban on leaving the country, and additional penalties.
According to Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, his attorney, the verdict issued by Judge Iman Afshari convicted Mr. Valizadeh of “collaboration with a hostile government (the United States).” Alongside the 10-year prison sentence, he has been banned from leaving the country, residing in Tehran Province or neighboring provinces, and joining any political or social parties or groups for two years as part of his supplementary punishments.
Despite the conclusion of investigations and the issuance of an initial verdict, Mr. Valizadeh remains confined to Evin Prison’s Ward 209, a section controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence, and is denied both transfer to the general ward and visitation with his family.
The trial for Mr. Valizadeh was held on November 20, following his arrest in late September by security forces. He had previously returned to Iran in March after living abroad for several years. Upon arrival, he was interrogated by the IRGC and Ministry of Intelligence and released only after signing a written commitment to cooperate with authorities if summoned.
Months later, he was detained again and transferred to Evin Prison. Voice of America previously reported that he is being held in isolation and remains barred from meeting his family.
Before his emigration, Mr. Valizadeh had been arrested in 2007 and was later released on bail. With probable dual citizenship, he is an experienced journalist, having worked with several media outlets, including Radio France, Voice of America, Radio Farda, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Publications of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) documented 2,380 cases in which citizens, including journalists and civil rights activists, faced legal and security consequences for exercising their freedom of expression and thought. These incidents resulted in the arrest of 3,130 individuals.
