HRANA News Agency– Behfar Lalehzari, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been waiting more than 14 months for the Supreme Court of Iran to review his retrial request. Despite repeated follow-ups, his case remains unresolved.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the Supreme Court has yet to process Lalehzari’s retrial petition.

A source close to the prisoner’s family confirmed the prolonged delay, telling HRANA: “During a visit by a judicial official to Ward 4 of Evin Prison, Behfar Lalehzari raised his protest over the lack of progress on his retrial request pending in Branch 39 of the Supreme Court. The official responded by claiming the case file had been ‘lost’ and that the branch currently has no file to review.”

In protest, Lalehzari launched a hunger strike on February 11, 2025, demanding action on his case. He ended his strike in late March after prison authorities promised to address his demands.

Lalehzari first submitted his retrial request to the Supreme Court in February 2024. Despite suffering from multiple health conditions, he has filed nine requests for medical furlough to date—each denied by prison officials.

On September 18, 2023, security forces arrested Behfar Lalehzari at his home. After seven days in solitary confinement at the Security Police detention facility, he was transferred to Evin Prison.

Later, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced him to four years in prison for “assembly and collusion against internal security” and one year for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling five years. The verdict was upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals.