My charges? “Acting against national security,” “propagating against the ‘holy system’ of the Islamic Republic,” and having four bottles of booze. This last charge is true and the punishment for it is nothing light. If certified, I could be lashed (perhaps publicly) 70 to 80 times. Last year a man was executed for consuming alcohol. In total, I face more than five years in prison. Currently I’m out on bail, but I won’t be going back for my hearing. I won’t lend this “justice” system or regime legitimacy they don’t deserve.Throughout my interrogations, my captors asked repeatedly about my piece in the Journal. How had I published it? Who was I working with? They couldn’t believe Iranians were speaking up. I am immensely grateful to the journalists of this paper who spoke up for me when I was jailed.This is the type of journalistic ethic I had written about in my piece that is so rarely found in Western coverage of Iran. I didn’t see the New York Times say anything about my case or the plight of other Iranian prisoners of conscience. When Iranians speak out against the journalists who attempt to silence our movement by ignoring us, this is what we mean.
Investigative Issues: Iran Jailed Me for My Last Op-Ed
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