Iranian political reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh has been found guilty of three charges related to his repeated calls for structural changes in the country and sentenced to five years in prison.
Houshang Pourbabai, a lawyer for Tajzadeh, said in a tweet on October 11 that his client has been handed sentences for conspiracy to act against the country's security, publishing falsehoods to disturb the public, and publishing propaganda against the system.
“My client Mostafa Tajzadeh was sentenced to five years for plotting against state security, two years for publishing lies and one year for propaganda against the system,” Pourbabai said, adding that the sentences would run concurrently.
Tajzadeh was the deputy interior minister in the government of former President Mohammad Khatami and one of the most prominent reformist figures in the Islamic republic. He was arrested on July 8 and has been in custody since.
Tajzadeh won't appeal the verdict as at the beginning of the trial he refused to acknowledge the court, which then denied him permission to consult privately with his lawyer.
Tajzadeh was previously arrested in 2009 during mass protests disputing the reelection of then President Mahmud Ahmadinejad that was contested by opposition reformist candidates Mehdi Karrubi and Mir Hossein Musavi.
In 2010, Tajzadeh was convicted of harming national security and propaganda against the state. He was released in 2016 after serving a seven-year sentence.
