Iranian Political Prisoner Sentenced to 5 Years After Death Sentence Overturned

A Tehran court has sentenced political prisoner Shahriar Bayat to five years in prison on blasphemy charges after Iran’s Supreme Court overturned his earlier death sentence, human rights sources reported.

Branch 10 of Tehran Province’s Criminal Court One issued the new sentence on May 14 and also ordered Bayat to complete one year of unpaid service at the Kahrizak Charity Institute.

Iran’s Supreme Court had overturned the initial death sentence in April and ordered a retrial.

Bayat, 64, was originally sentenced to death in February on charges of insulting the Prophet of Islam and committing blasphemy, allegedly through posts made on social media. The sentence came just weeks after he had been granted furlough.

Security forces arrested the retired government employee at his home in Shahriar on September 25, 2022, during nationwide protests. He is currently being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

In a separate case, Bayat was previously sentenced to eight years and six months in prison on charges including propaganda against the regime and insulting Iran’s leaders.