Mostafa Tajzadeh, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to six years in prison by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges stemming from a new case opened against him during his incarceration.

A recent verdict issued by Judge Abolghasem Salavati of Branch 15 sentenced Tajzadeh to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime” and five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” totaling six years. Under Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe sentence—five years—will be enforceable.

Fakhrosadat Mohtashami-Pour, Tajzadeh’s wife, revealed that the case was filed by the IRGC Intelligence Organization. She also noted that this is the third time since 2009 that Judge Salavati has issued a new sentence against her husband.

In March 2024, a new case was opened against Tajzadeh while he was already imprisoned, and he was summoned to Evin Prosecutor’s Office. At the time, Tajzadeh stated: “As before, I refused to accept the summons and declared that I would not appear in court or the prosecutor’s office. The judiciary is free to convict me in absentia.”

Previously, Tajzadeh had criticized the revival of the the “Guidance Patrol” program known as “Noor Plan” by the Iranian police (FARAJA). In a letter from Evin Prison, he attributed the reinstatement of this program to the orders or approval of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, writing: “No authority other than the Leader can mandate directives for the police.” Tajzadeh, who served as the Deputy Interior Minister for Political Affairs for several years, emphasized in his letter that only the Supreme Leader has such authority over the police.

The prominent political activist was apprehended by security forces on July 8, 2022, and subsequently transferred to Ward 2-A in Evin Prison under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). After months of legal uncertainty, Tajzadeh was sentenced to eight years in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Salavati. The charges included “assembly and collusion against national security,” “disseminating false information,” and “propaganda against the regime,” with five years of the verdict deemed enforceable.

Tajzadeh, who previously served as the deputy interior minister under President Mohammad Khatami, has a history of judicial confrontations and periods of incarceration stemming from his activism.