Iran Writers Association board member Youssef Ansari sentenced to prison

Hengaw – Saturday, June 13, 2026

Youssef Ansari, a writer and member of the Board of Secretaries of the Iran Writers Association, has been sentenced by the Iranian Judiciary to one year in prison.

Based on information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Ansari, a resident of Tehran, was sentenced by Branch 21 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state.” Under the ruling, eight months of the sentence were suspended, leaving four months enforceable.

Ansari was arrested by government forces on January 7, 2025, after attending a memorial ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of Baktash Abtin, a writer and member of the Iran Writers Association who died after authorities delayed his transfer from prison to a hospital. He was subsequently transferred to Greater Tehran Penitentiary.

The writer was temporarily released in late March 2025 after posting bail of 700 million tomans, pending the completion of judicial proceedings.