10-year jail term approved for Emad Bahavar

Emad Bahavar has been sentenced to ten years in prison following appeal.

According to the Mizan website, an appeals court approved a ten-year jail-term as well as a ten-year ban on any activity within the framework of political “parties, media and cyberspace.”

The young political activist is the head of the youth branch of the Freedom Movement of Iran, and had been sentenced to ten years in prison following a ruling by Judge Salavati, head of branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court.

According to Green Movement website Kaleme, Bahavar was convicted of “assembly and collusion to act against national security,” “propagating against the regime” and “insulting the leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Bahavar was initially arrested on 28 May 2009 on the grounds that he had propagated against the establishment, but was then released after 96 hours. He was detained again after Election Day on 12 June 2009 and was set free after enduring 46 days of solitary confinement. He was arrested once more on 7 March 2010, after appearing in court to defend himself.

The young political activist is a graduate student in political science, but was unable to continue his studies due to his political activism and was barred from pursuing his education following his release from prison.

He is currently being held in ward 350 of Iran’s notorious Evin prison.

GVF