Mehdi Mahmoudian, an Iranian political activist, has begun serving an eight-month prison sentence, according to his lawyer, Mostafa Nili. The sentence stems from Mahmoudian’s social media posts about the presence of bed bugs in Iranian prisons.
The issue began when Zia Nabavi, a prisoner, confirmed the existence of bed bugs in prison, which was promptly denied by the state-run Mizan News Agency. Mahmoudian responded by posting two tweets challenging the state’s denial.
Initially acquitted of spreading false information, Mahmoudian was later convicted of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court. The verdict, issued by Judge Afshari, was upheld by an appeals court.
Mahmoudian, who had been released in January 2024 after serving a 30-month sentence for his civil rights activism, reported to prison on Monday morning. This followed a brief one-month grace period, during which he was allowed to attend to personal affairs before authorities demanded his immediate return to prison.
