Iranian MP Hamid Rasaei jailed for 10 months — Jerusalem Post

In Iran, ultraconservative lawmaker Hamid Rasaei was sentenced to 10 months in prison for publishing false information with the intent to harm others. On Sunday, he was sent to Evin Prison, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Iranian state and judicial media as well as statements by members of parliament.

Parliament speaker’s complaint

Rasaei’s sentence was issued following a complaint by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. It was based on a 2024 article that Rasaei published before being elected as a lawmaker, when he was editor-in-chief of the 9 Dey publication.

In the article, Rasaei claimed that Ghalibaf had manipulated parliamentary documents. In social media posts, he also called the speaker a “parliamentary dictator.”

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Although the 9 Dey newspaper is no longer published, the court ordered Rasaei to publish a retraction and apologize to Ghalibaf. According to the Fars agency, the lawmaker refused to comply with the requirement, calling the court’s decision illegal and political and the punishment excessive.

Reaction from conservative lawmakers

The decision drew criticism from Iranian conservatives, including criticism directed at Ghalibaf and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei. Lawmaker and cleric Seyed Mahmoud Nabavian criticized actions against critics of the speaker and noted that some consider Ghalibaf a supporter of negotiations with Washington.

Another parliamentarian, Mohammad-Manan Raeesi, said that he had contacted Ghalibaf’s office with a proposal to revoke the court ruling. In his view, Rasaei’s imprisonment could lead to officials losing respect for the parliament speaker.