Javad Ruhi, a 35-year-old Iranian protester from the northern city of Amol whose death sentence was overturned by Iran's Supreme Court, remains in temporary detention more than 10 months after he was arrested as his case continues to be passed around regional Iranian courts.
Ruhi was arrested in the northern Iranian city of Nowshahr on December 11 for participating in ongoing nationwide protests sparked by the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody in September after she was arrested for allegedly not wearing a hijab properly.
The regime's brutal crackdown on public demonstrators and dissent has seen thousands of people arrested, including journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others voicing opposition to the government.
SEE ALSO: Special Report: The Protests That Shook Iran's Clerical SystemSome Iranian lawmakers have demanded an even harsher response, calling for heavy penalties, including death sentences, for protesters.
Ruhi was sentenced to death for "corruption on Earth," a charge punishable by death that is often leveled in cases allegedly involving espionage or attempts to overthrow the government and which the courts have taken to using in recent months against protesters.
In a pivotal move, however, the ruling was overturned by the country's Supreme Court in June.
Majid Kaveh, Ruhi's lawyer, said his client's only actions were dancing in the city square and throwing some hijabs on a fire.
The court indictment, which was obtained by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, appears to back up the claims.
However, two months later, Ruhi remains in detention while his case has been sent from one regional court to another.
Majid Kaveh, Ruhi's legal representative, expressed deep concern over what he said seems to be the "disregard for the Supreme Court ruling."
Kaveh told the Tehran-based Shargh newspaper on August 6 that the trajectory of the case remains unclear due to administrative issues.
Kaveh said that after being referred back to the provincial judiciary, the case took an unexpected turn following the dissolution of the specialized branch handling such cases in the Mazandaran provincial Revolutionary Court.
Ruhi's case was redirected to the Revolutionary Court of another city, Tonekabon, which subsequently passed the case to the Revolutionary Court of yet another city, Amol, which forwarded it to the Revolutionary Court in the northern Iranian city of Sari.
The case now awaits a decision from the Mazandaran Provincial Review Court.
The delay in legal proceedings has had a severe toll, Kaveh said. Ruhi has been in temporary detention for over 315 days in Nowshahr prison, leading to severe physical and psychological strain on him and his family.
Iran has recently executed at least seven anti-government protesters in hasty trials, triggering strong condemnation from human rights activists and numerous Western governments.
Human rights groups say the crackdown has left more than 500 people dead and hundreds more injured.