Fatemeh Sheikhi, a 22-year-old civilian from Abdanan in Ilam province, has been sentenced to one year in prison for “insulting sacred beliefs,” with the court opting to suspend the sentence for two years.
Sheikhi’s trial took place on 7 February in Branch 101 of Abdanan Criminal Court Two, presided over by Judge Mohammad Gholami, and the verdict was handed down to the civilian on 12 February.
Despite the conviction, the court decided to suspend the one-year sentence for two years, taking into account her clean criminal record.
Fatemeh Sheikhi was summoned to the second branch of the Assistant Public Prosecutor’s Office in Abdanan on 2 September 2023 and released on bail after being charged.
The court’s decision was reportedly influenced by Sheikhi’s Instagram content on the country’s political issues, which the court considered to be “insulting sacred beliefs”.
