Political Prisoner Hamidreza Gharibi’s Prison Sentence Increased on Appeal

The prison sentence of Hamidreza Gharibi, a political prisoner held in Saveh Prison, has been extended to 49 months and 18 days by the Appeals Court of Markazi Province after consolidating his previous sentences. Initially, Gharibi had been sentenced to a total of 31 months and 17 days in two separate cases.

Following the consolidation, Branch 8 of the Appeals Court of Markazi Province, under Judge Mohsen Edalat, sentenced Gharibi to 15 months and 1 day for insulting the Supreme Leader, 7 months and 16 days for propaganda against the regime, and 27 months and 1 day for blasphemy.

In his first case earlier this year, Gharibi had been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Saveh Revolutionary Court to 6 months and 1 day in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader on social media, with the sentence suspended for one year. He was acquitted of propaganda against the regime in the same case, but following an appeal by the Saveh prosecutor’s office, the Appeals Court sentenced him to 7 months and 16 days for this charge.

In August 2023, in a separate case, Gharibi was sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 1 of the Saveh Revolutionary Court for blasphemy. After submitting to the ruling, his sentence was reduced by one-fourth.

Hamidreza Gharibi, a resident of Saveh, was first arrested in early September 2022 and released on bail after about a month. He was rearrested on June 21, 2023, and transferred to Saveh Prison.