Iranian actor Mohammad Sadeghi, a vocal supporter of women's rights in the country, says he been sentenced to five years in prison for his activism.
The actor said in a video posted on his Instagram account on December 10 that he was convicted by the Islamic Revolutionary Court on charges of "inciting people to war and slaughter against national security."
The ruling was subsequently confirmed by Branch 36 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court. Sadeghi's arrest, which took place on July 16, followed a police raid on his home.
This incident came just a day after Sadeghi had uploaded a video on his Instagram account where he openly criticized compulsory head-scarf laws and the increasingly strict regulation of women's dress codes in urban areas.
In conjunction with his arrest, the Tehran Police Command Information Center released a statement accusing Sadeghi of "promoting violence and profanity against the guardians of order and security of society."
The statement further added that Sadeghi's arrest was carried out "after coordination with the judicial authority."
Adding to the controversy, Sadeghi's family revealed on August 14 that he had been denied access to legal representation since his arrest. Furthermore, authorities reportedly refused to consider his release on bail, intensifying concerns about due process and legal rights in such cases in Iran.
The lack of women's rights in Iran has come under intense scrutiny since the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.
Iranians, angered by the 22-year-old's death while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation, poured onto the streets across the country to protest the treatment of women and a general lack of rights, with women and schoolgirls making unprecedented shows of support in the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
Several film industry luminaries and other prominent public figures have also been summoned by the police or arrested after they made public appearances without wearing the mandatory hijab, or Islamic head scarf, to show support for the protesters.
In response, the authorities have launched a brutal crackdown on dissent, detaining thousands and handing down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.
While the protests appear to be waning, resistance to the hijab remains high as it is seen now as a symbol of the state's repression of women and the deadly crackdown on society.