Political Prisoner's Father Sentenced to Five Years In Prison

The verdict has sparked outcry as it was delivered in his absence, with allegations of his refusal to wear prison uniform.

Reza, Younesi's son, took to Twitter on Tuesday to express his frustration, revealing that his father was denied the right to be present in court. The court session proceeded despite objections from his lawyers regarding the "lack of presentation of any evidence by the ministry of intelligence," which were reportedly disregarded.

Younesi was detained on December 28, 2022, in Shahroud, with the ministry of intelligence accusing him of "financial ties with the exiled opposition group Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK)."

His family has vehemently contested the charges, asserting that Younesi is an employee engaged in legitimate commercial transactions. The case is purportedly centered around a payment of 130 million rials.

Reza further alleged that the intelligence authorities were well aware of his father's lack of connection to the case's narrative but implicated him as an act of revenge.

Another son, Ali Younesi, a gold medalist from the International Astronomy Olympiad, was arrested in 2020 alongside Amir-Hossein Moradi. Both were subsequently sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges including "corruption on earth," "propaganda against the system," and "conspiracy and collusion with the aim of acting against national security."