Tehran – October 22, 2025: Shahin Zoghi-Tabar, a 38-year-old political prisoner and one of the recent detainees in Tehran, has been sentenced to ten years in prison by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari. The verdict, based on baseless accusations and without legal evidence, once again exposes the political nature of Iran’s judiciary and its use as a tool of repression.
Case Background
Zoghi-Tabar was violently arrested on July 23, 2025 (2 Mordad 1404), after agents of the IRGC Intelligence raided his home without a judicial warrant. His personal belongings, including his phone and computer, were confiscated in front of his family. Following his arrest, he was transferred to Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafouyeh), where he was held in harsh and unsanitary conditions.
Court Process and Charges
The court session took place on August 17, 2025 (26 Mordad 1404), without the presence of an independent attorney and with no access to basic fair trial guarantees. The charges included “collusion against national security,” “membership in the PMOI,” and “propaganda against the regime.” Judge Afshari sentenced him to ten years in total — five years for the first charge, four years for alleged “membership in the PMOI,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.” Sources close to his family emphasized that no credible evidence exists in the case file and that the accusations were entirely fabricated by security agencies, particularly the Ministry of Intelligence.
Health and Prison Conditions
During his detention in Fashafouyeh, Zoghi-Tabar developed kidney problems and severe leg swelling due to overcrowding, poor hygiene, and lack of medical care. He was later transferred to Ward 7 of Evin Prison, where his health remains fragile. Despite repeated requests, he has been denied adequate medical attention and treatment. His current condition poses a serious risk to his life, underscoring the regime’s deliberate neglect of prisoners’ health.
Previous Imprisonment and Resistance
This is not the first time Zoghi-Tabar has faced political persecution. In 2013, he was arrested on charges of “insulting Khamenei” and sentenced to six years in prison, serving four years in Evin and Gohardasht prisons before his release in February 2018. During that time, he repeatedly protested the inhumane conditions and was sent to solitary confinement several times. His record of resistance and advocacy for prisoners’ rights is believed to be a main reason for his renewed arrest.
Human Rights Violations
Zoghi-Tabar’s case reflects a pattern of systematic human rights violations under the ruling regime in Iran:
– Right to Liberty and Security (Article 9, ICCPR): Arrest without warrant or judicial order.
– Right to a Fair Trial (Article 14): No legal representation and a politically influenced verdict.
– Freedom of Expression (Article 19): Criminalization of peaceful dissent and political association.
– Prohibition of Cruel Treatment (Articles 6 & 7): Denial of medical care and exposure to degrading prison conditions.
These violations reveal how Iran’s judiciary functions as an arm of political repression rather than justice.
Statement from Prison
In a message from Evin Prison on October 21, 2025 (30 Mehr 1404), Zoghi-Tabar described himself as “a hostage of the IRGC’s terror apparatus.” He condemned the intelligence agencies’ efforts to frame resistance movements and reiterated his commitment to the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, stating:
“The real battle is between the people of Iran and the inhumane clerical regime. I will stand by the people until the regime is overthrown.”
International Call to Action
The ten-year sentence against Shahin Zoghi-Tabar is another clear example of the Iranian judiciary’s use of fabricated charges to silence dissent. International human rights organizations — including Amnesty International, UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Iran, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) — are urged to:
1. Demand the immediate release of Shahin Zoghi-Tabar;
2. Ensure his access to medical care and independent legal counsel;
3. Hold the ruling regime in Iran accountable for systematic violations of international human rights law.
The global community, including the European Union and members of the UN Human Rights Council, must raise this case in official reports and upcoming sessions to prevent the recurrence of such politically motivated sentences.
