Tehran – Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi sentenced to seven years and six months in prison
Hengaw – Saturday, August 9, 2025
Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi, imprisoned students from Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology and recipients of national and international medals in astronomy and astrophysics Olympiads, have been sentenced by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to a combined seven years and six months in prison, along with social restrictions and exile.
According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, under a recent ruling, Amir Hossein Moradi—a physics student and silver medalist at the 2017 National Astronomy Olympiad—and Ali Younesi—a computer engineering student who earned the 2016 national silver medal and the 2017 international gold medal in astronomy and astrophysics—were each sentenced by Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to 15 months in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state.”
Their defense lawyer, Mustafa Neili, stated that Ali Younesi also received an additional five-year prison sentence in Kerman Prison for “supporting and strengthening the Zionist State.” As part of this sentence, Younesi is barred from accessing any virtual platforms and prohibited from telephone communication outside the prison, except in essential cases under strict supervision by prison authorities.
Court hearings for the charges against Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi were held on July 27 and July 18, 2025, respectively.
Both were initially arrested on April 10, 2020, by plainclothes agents of the Ministry of Intelligence without warrants and through the use of force. They were detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a Ministry of Intelligence detention center, before being transferred to the general ward on June 25, 2022.
On May 6, 2020, the two were publicly accused by Gholamhossein Esmaili, spokesperson for Iran’s judiciary, of collaborating with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
Their initial court ruling sentenced them to ten years in prison for “destruction and arson of public property,” five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” This verdict was upheld without modification by Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court in June 2022.
Following a successful retrial petition granted by a peer branch of the Supreme Court, their enforceable prison sentence was reduced from ten years to six years and eight months.
