Iranian activist to spend 5 years in jail for alleged 'pro-Israel propaganda activity'

Post consisting of a single period gained thousands more likes than the Supreme Leader

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Iranian activist Hossein Shanbehzadeh was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Saturday after being convicted of engaging in pro-Israel propaganda, among other charges, Iranian media reported.

He will only be required to serve the longest sentence from his various convictions, however, which is five years.

Shanbehzadeh was arrested in June, with some Iranian news outlets reporting it may have been in response to a reply he made to a post from Ayatollah Khamenei on 𝕏.

Shanbehzadeh’s post, which consisted of a single period, gained thousands more likes than that of the Supreme Leader.

Iran’s judiciary said that the arrest of a “fugitive Mossad agent” had taken place, and a news outlet owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later identified Shanbehzadeh as the alleged agent for Israel, according to Iran International.

Shanbehzadeh was not convicted of espionage, however.

According to his lawyer, Shanbehzadeh was convicted of breaking Article 8 of the “Law on Countering the Hostile Actions of the Zionist Regime against Peace and Security” for engaging in “pro-Israel propaganda activity.”

Article 8 states that “any action such as security, military, political, cultural, media, propaganda, direct and indirect economic and financial consciously assistance in order to approve or strengthen the Zionist regime is prohibited. The perpetrator will be sentenced to fifth degree imprisonment.”

Shanbehzadeh denies involvement in the pro-Israel activities he has been accused of.

His lawyer “added that this charge was based on the writer’s private chats, not public messaging,” according to The Jerusalem Post.

Shanbehzadeh was also convicted for “insulting Islamic sanctities,” as well as “spreading lies and disturbing public thought” and “anti-regime propaganda activity.”

His lawyers said these charges were concerning his stance against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws, for “expressing joy at the death of Iran's former president,” and for his support of jailed protesters.

Shanbehzadeh was previously arrested by the Iranian government during protests in 2019, when he was accused of “insulting the sanctities and the leader of the Islamic Republic.”