Sereen Curtis (Badiei), known as “Shahzadeh Sereen,” a dual Iranian-New Zealand citizen, has been sentenced by Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court to 9 years, 1 month, and 16 days in prison, according to Emtedad. He also received a two-year ban on leaving the country and engaging in social media activities.

His lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, stated that Mr. Curtis was sentenced to 66 months in prison for the charge of “provoking impurity and indecency,” 36 months for “insulting religious sanctities,” and 7 months and 16 days for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling 109 months and 16 days in prison. Additionally, he was sentenced to a two-year ban on leaving the country and engaging in social media activities as supplementary penalties.

Sharifzadeh Ardakani announced in late July that Mr. Curtis’s court session for the mentioned charges was held in Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court. He added that Sereen Curtis brought several assets, including jewelry and cash (dollars), to Iran, which have been confiscated. As a result, his client has faced financial difficulties while in prison, a situation they have reported to some of his acquaintances and the New Zealand Embassy.

Noting that the New Zealand Embassy is aware of his client’s case, Sharifzadeh Ardakani emphasized that his client was hospitalized for two weeks at Roozbeh Hospital in Tehran and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. They requested that he be re-evaluated by a three-member forensic medical commission, given his bipolar disorder, which is considered a type of schizophrenia and occasionally causes sudden insanity.

Sharifzadeh Ardakani expressed hope that considering these points to prove his client’s mental instability, the issued sentence will be thoroughly reviewed by the judges in the Karaj Court of Appeal.