In a recent development in Iran, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, led by Judge Iman Afshari, has sentenced Shakila Monfared to fifteen months of additional imprisonment for the crime of “propaganda against the regime.” The verdict includes fifteen months of penal sentencing, a ban on leaving the country, prohibition from joining political groups, and a ban on residing in Tehran, all for a duration of two years.
This sentencing raises legal questions, as under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, the maximum sentence for propaganda against the regime is typically between three months to one year. Monfared’s sentence exceeds the strictest legal limit by three months.
The judge’s decision to prohibit Monfared from residing in Tehran seems to imply a view of the rest of Iran as a place of exile, treating life in other cities as a form of punishment. This stance has drawn criticism, with some commenting that the authorities, who aim to lead the nation to prosperity, are instead transforming the country into a “graveyard and place of exile,” treating its residents as criminals.