Maysam Dehban-zadeh, a recently released political prisoner, has been sentenced again by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran to six years in prison, a ban on residing in Tehran, a prohibition on leaving the country, and other social deprivations.
On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Maysam Dehban-Zadeh, who had recently been released from Evin Prison, was sentenced by Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. He was convicted of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security” and “forming a group to disrupt national security.” He received a six-year prison sentence.
He was also subjected to additional penalties, including a ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a prohibition on leaving the country, a prohibition on joining political and social organizations or groups, and a monthly report in person to the supervision office for two years.
Despite completing his previous sentence on May 28, 2023, he was released on a bail of 500 million tomans because of a new case opened for him regarding last year’s fire incident in Evin Prison. The authorities required him to face another trial.
The verdict was officially communicated to Erfan Karamvissi, the lawyer of Maysam Dehban-Zadeh, on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
Who is political prisoner Maysam Dehban-Zadeh?
Political prisoner Maysam Dehban-Zadeh was arrested in December 2020 and transferred to solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
After a few months, he was released on bail. However, he was re-arrested in February 2022 and transferred back to Evin Prison for a 10-year sentence. He has been charged with “assembly and collusion” through his connection with the Mujahideen-e Khalq organization, as well as “disrupting public order” and “propaganda against the regime.”
The political prisoner is among the individuals injured during the attack on prisoners and the fire at Evin Prison last October.
After the transfer of several political prisoners from Evin to Gohardasht Prison on October 16, 2022, one day after the devastating prison fire, Maysam Dehban-Zadeh was transferred to solitary cells in Ward 241 of Evin Prison and subjected to torture and interrogation.
After some time, he was transferred to Gohardasht Prison and later moved to Ward 4 of the Greater Tehran Penitentiary. On Thursday, May 25, 2023, he and Majid Roshan Nejad were severely beaten and injured, and he was tortured by being tied to a pole.