Teachers’ Union Activist Mehdi Fathi Sentenced to Imprisonment and Additional Punishments

HRANA – The conviction of Mehdi Fathi, a retired teacher and board member of the Fars Teachers’ Trade Association, was upheld in full by the Fars Province Court of Appeals. He had previously been sentenced by the Shiraz Revolutionary Court to 15 months in prison and additional punishments.

According to HRANA, Mehdi Fathi has been sentenced to imprisonment and additional punishments.

On July 3, the Fars Province Court of Appeals sentenced Mr. Fathi to 15 months in prison, a travel ban, revocation of his passport, and a two-year ban on online activities.

The initial ruling in this case, dated May 11, had been issued by the Shiraz Revolutionary Court on charges including “propaganda against the regime.”

In January 2024, Mehdi Fathi was released from Adelabad Prison in Shiraz under electronic ankle monitoring. He has since been serving the remainder of the sentence from his previous case outside prison, subject to restrictions on his movement.

In March 2022, Mr. Fathi was sentenced to 12 years in prison, exile, a travel ban, and passport revocation on charges including “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader and the founder of the Islamic Republic.”

His sentence was subsequently reduced on appeal to eight years in prison, passport revocation, and a ban on leaving the country. Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe sentence, five years in prison, was deemed enforceable.

This teachers’ union activist was arrested by security forces at his home in June 2022 and subsequently transferred to Ward 14 of Adelabad Prison in Shiraz.

Mehdi Fathi is a retired teacher and board member of the Fars Teachers’ Trade Association. He is from the village of Kordshul, in Pasargad County, Fars Province.

Update on Mehdi Fathi’s Condition in Adelabad Prison

Teacher union activist Mehdi Fathi, imprisoned in Adelabad Prison, was denied adequate medical care and medical furlough, despite suffering from heart failure and high blood pressure.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, teacher union activist Mehdi Fathi is currently serving his sentence in Adelabad Prison, Shiraz.

An informed source close to his family told HRANA, “Fathi suffers from heart failure and high blood pressure. Yet, prison officials deny him adequate medical care and refuse to dispatch him to a medical furlough.”

“Recently, prison officials promised him a medical leave. However, at the last minute, for unknown reasons, they changed their minds. Also, Fathi’s access to call his family was restricted in recent weeks.”

In March 2022, the court sentenced him to 12 years in prison on the charges of “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the former and current Supreme Leader.” He was also sentenced to a two-year exile and banned from leaving the country for two years.

This sentence was reduced to eight years on appeal. Applying Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, five years for one charge was enforceable.

On June 8, 2022, security forces arrested him to start serving his sentence in Adelabad Prison.

Fathi is a history teacher, teacher union activist, and resident of the Kordshul village, Fars Province.