In Brief
In June 2013 sociologist and political activist Saeed Madani was sentenced to six years in prison and ten years in exile on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “acting against national security.” Mandani been held without charge since January 7, 2012.
Case History
Security forces arrested Saeed Madani in 2012 for his political activism and membership in the now-banned Nationalist-Religious Alliance political opposition group. Following Madani's arrest, he spent nearly a year inside the Intelligence Ministry-controlled Ward 209 at Evin Prison.
His wife, Mansoureh Ettefagh, told the Campaign that Madani was tortured during the first few months following his arrest, including being forced to endure interrogation sessions of about 15 hours. His situation slightly improved, however, after he embarked on a hunger strike. In an earlier interview with the Campaign, Ettefagh said her husband’s interrogators refused to transfer him to Evin’s General Ward because he would not provide false confessions.
Mandani was sentenced by Judge Yahya Pirabbasi of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in 2013. In March 2014 Madani was transferred to Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj, east of Tehran.
The Appeals Court reduced Madani’s sentence to five years in prison and two years of exile in Bandar Abbas; however, three years were added to his prison sentence in connection to another political court case from 1999. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaee, filed an appeal to the Supreme Court but was turned down.
In January 2015 Madani was released for the first time since his imprisonment after being granted furlough for a few days. He has been in exile in Bandar Abbas since March 2016.