13-year prison sentence for cleric Ahmadpour

Ahmad Reza Ahmadpour is a cleric, member of the Qom Hezbeh Mosharekat (Participation Front), a blogger for Pezhak-e Khamoosh, and a researcher. Intelligence agents in the city of Qom arrested him on July 19, 2010 after which he spent almost a year in prison. The appeals court has now issued a verdict based on additional charges against this cleric.

According to Human Rights House of Iran, Ahmadpour was handed down a sentence of 3 years behind bars in Ahvaz prison and 10-years exile to the city of Izeh. He has now found out that this verdict has been upheld at the appellate court.

Ahmadpour faced the new charges stemming from a letter he wrote to the United Nations. Because of this letter he was convicted of “publishing lies for the intent of disturbing public opinion”, “propaganda against the regime” and “violating the dignity of the clergy.”

In 2009 Ahmadpour was convicted of “acting against national security”, “propaganda against the regime”, and “violating the dignity of the clergy.” At that time he was handed down a one-year sentence, which he served behind bars.

Ahmadpour is a war veteran [of the Iran-Iraq war] who suffers from physical disabilities due to being exposed to chemical weapons during the war. Even though per doctor’s orders it is imperative that Seyed Ahmadpour is under around the clock medical supervision, the courts have handed down this new verdict with plans of again putting this cleric behind bars.

Source: Human Rights House of IRAN