The Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Mahmood (Mahmoud) Mehrabi, a political prisoner detained at Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, after accepting his appeal. The case has now been referred for retrial to a different branch of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan.
Mehrabi’s defense attorney, Babak Farsani, confirmed the development, stating: “Through the diligent efforts of our legal team and the support from the Supreme Court, the death sentence of my client, Mehrabi, initially convicted of ‘corruption on earth,’ has been annulled. His case has now been assigned for retrial to a parallel branch of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan.” In June, Farsani had noted that his appeal highlighted over ten major errors in the original verdict, each providing substantial grounds for the Supreme Court to reconsider.
In May, Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan had sentenced Mehrabi to death for “corruption on earth,” citing “the extensive dissemination of false information” on his Instagram account as a primary offense.
Mehrabi was first arrested by security forces in Isfahan on February 1, 2023. He was released on bail from Dastgerd Prison on March 16, 2023, but was re-arrested at his home in Isfahan only hours after his release, and subsequently returned to the same prison.
In September 2023, the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Mobarakeh County indicted Mehrabi on several charges, including “corruption on earth through spreading false information, anti-regime propaganda on social media, inciting military and police forces to disobey orders and surrender online, inciting violence and unrest to disrupt security, and insulting the Supreme Leader and Ruhollah Khomeini on social media.”
In January 2024, Mehrabi faced additional charges, including “publishing criminal content in the media and insulting religious figures and sacred entities.”
Mahmood Mehrabi, 35, a resident of Isfahan, worked as an electrical engineer prior to his arrest.