The 12-year prison sentence and exile to Zahedan for political prisoner Vahid Chavaran has been upheld by the appeals court. Previously, in January 2024, Branch 2 of the Ilam Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Rajab Mohammadi, had sentenced him to this punishment. The appeals court not only reaffirmed the previous ruling but also specified that his imprisonment will be served in Zahedan under strict conditions with no social interactions.
Arrest by Security Forces
In April 2023, security forces raided Vahid Chavaran’s home in an attempt to arrest him. However, due to his vigilance, their attempt was unsuccessful. Eventually, on Friday, June 23, 2023, he was arrested while trying to leave the country and was subsequently transferred to the detention center of Ilam’s Intelligence Department.
Following his arrest, Vahid Chavaran was subjected to psychological and physical torture to extract a forced confession. After some time, he was transferred to Ilam Central Prison. In protest against these tortures and his continued detention, he went on a hunger strike in July 2023.
Since his arrest, Vahid Chavaran has been denied access to legal representation, and prison authorities have further pressured him by prohibiting family visits. Along with two other political prisoners, Mohammad Hossein Hasali and Naser Rezai, he had sewn his lips shut in protest against his uncertain status.
Civil Activities and Previous Arrests
Vahid Chavaran, a mountaineer and civil activist from Sarab Bagh, a district of Abdanan County, had been arrested multiple times by security forces during nationwide protests. The confirmation of his severe sentence is yet another example of the repressive measures taken against civil and political activists in Iran.
