Political and civil activist Mehdi Mahmoudian announced that his eight-month prison sentence on charges of “propaganda against the regime” has been finalized, noting that he deliberately chose not to appeal the verdict.
In a note published on Thursday, Mahmoudian explained that the charges stem from two pieces he authored while previously incarcerated: one detailing violence during the transfer of prisoners from Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafuyeh) to Evin, and another titled “On the Peaks of Illusion and Unable to See Reality.”
According to Mahmoudian, following his summons on charges of propaganda against the system, the investigator at Branch 2 of the Prosecutor’s Office twice issued an order of non-prosecution (men-e ta’aqob). However, the prosecutor appealed the decision both times. Ultimately, an indictment was issued, and the case was referred to Branch 21 of the Revolutionary Court, where Judge Taqizadeh sentenced him to eight months in prison.
Mahmoudian stated that while his lawyer submitted a defense brief in accordance with his professional duties, he personally declined to appear in court and chose not to lodge an appeal against the ruling.
Explaining his decision, Mahmoudian wrote that he is no longer willing to “seek justice for my own freedom from a court that has issued death sentences for dozens of young people in this country and handed down thousands of years of imprisonment to thousands of protesters and critics.”
