Iran: Blogger gets 12-year prison term for tweeting single dot
Hossein Shanbehzadeh, an Iranian blogger and activist, has been sentenced to a 12-year prison term. The charges against him include responding with a single period or dot to a post by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on social media platform X. Shanbehzadeh, known for his criticism of Iran's leadership and advocacy for political prisoners and women's rights, was previously incarcerated in 2019 due to his online remarks about Khamenei.
Shanbehzadeh's arrest and public response
Shanbehzadeh was detained in early June in Ardabil, a city located in northwestern Iran. The arrest occurred shortly after he posted a dot in response to Khamenei's tweet featuring him with Iran's national volleyball team. Interestingly, Shanbehzadeh's post garnered more "likes" than the original tweet by Khamenei, as reported by Iran International English.
Iran's crackdown on dissent intensifies
Shanbehzadeh's case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader crackdown by Iran's government on critics. Observers have noted that the leadership has been feeling threatened by the high level of dissent in the country for some time now. This has led to artists, playwrights, directors, and others also being targeted with lengthy prison sentences. In a recent case from April, Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was given the death sentence for his anti-government videos.
Breakdown of Shanbehzadeh's sentence and planned appeal
Shanbehzadeh's 12-year sentence is divided into five years for alleged pro-Israel propaganda activity, four years for insulting Islamic sanctities, two years for spreading lies online, and an additional year for anti-regime propaganda. His lawyer, Amir Raisian, has stated that he plans to challenge the verdict. He will particularly focus on the accusation of pro-Israel activity. The prosecutor's office in Ardabil has claimed that Shanbehzadeh had been communicating with Israeli intelligence officers and was apprehended while attempting to leave Iran.
