New Prison Sentences Issued Against Imprisoned Outstanding Students Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi
12-June-2026
Category: Prison Sentence
11 June 2026
News Category: Prison Sentences
Breathing in Confinement: Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi, two outstanding students and winners of astronomy Olympiad medals who are currently imprisoned, have received new prison sentences.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Mostafa Nili, the lawyer representing the two political prisoners, announced that Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced each of them to 15 months’ imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the state.”
Mr Nili also wrote on the social media platform X that, in a separate ruling, Ali Younesi was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in Kerman on charges of “endorsing and supporting Israel.” As an additional punishment, he has reportedly been prohibited from using social media and from making telephone calls to individuals outside the prison, except in necessary circumstances and under the supervision of prison authorities.
Ali Younesi and Amirhossein Moradi were arrested on 10 April 2020 by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence without the presentation of a judicial warrant and were transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. The two students of Sharif University of Technology remained there for more than two years before being moved to the prison’s general ward.
At their initial trial, they faced charges including “destruction and arson of public property,” “assembly and collusion against national security,” “propaganda against the state,” and “support for the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK).” Ali Younesi was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, while Amirhossein Moradi received a five-year prison sentence, with both also receiving an additional one-year sentence. These verdicts were subsequently upheld in full by the Tehran Court of Appeal.
Following the acceptance of a request for judicial review and reconsideration of the case by a parallel court branch, the enforceable prison term for the two students was reduced from 10 years to 6 years and 8 months.