Reza Valizadeh sentenced to ten years imprisonment and additional punishments

Hengaw: Sunday, December 15, 2024

Reza Valizadeh, a journalist and former reporter for Radio Farda, currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, has been sentenced to ten years of imprisonment along with additional punitive measures by the judiciary of Islamic Republic of Iran. Valizadeh has been in detention since October 2024.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, sentenced Valizadeh to ten years in prison on charges of “collaboration with the hostile government of the United States.” His sentence also includes additional restrictions for two years.

Valizadeh’s lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, elaborated: “In addition to ten years of imprisonment, Reza Valizadeh faces a ban on residence in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a two-year travel ban, and prohibition from joining political or social groups.”

The trial for Valizadeh’s case took place on November 20, 2024, at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Despite the verdict being issued, Valizadeh remains in detention under harsh conditions, with authorities refusing to transfer him to the general ward or grant him family visitation rights.

Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of service and returned to Iran to visit his family, having received assurances from security forces that he would not face legal repercussions. However, upon his arrival, he was interrogated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence and was released only after signing a pledge.