HRANA News Agency – On Sunday, May 4, Azhdar Piri Sarmanlou, editor-in-chief of the Research of Nations monthly magazine, was arrested after reporting to the Sentence Enforcement Branch of Karaj Prosecutor’s Office and transferred to the Central Prison of Karaj to serve a one-year prison sentence.
According to this report, on Sunday, May 4, 2025, Mr. Piri Sarmanlou was arrested upon reporting to the Sentence Enforcement Branch of the Karaj Prosecutor’s Office and was then transferred to Karaj Central Penitentiary to begin serving his one-year sentence.
In January 2025, Branch 3 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Azhdar Piri to one year in prison on charges of propaganda against the regime and insulting officials and agents. As additional punishment, he was also sentenced to a two-year ban from social media membership and activity.
Mr. Piri was originally arrested on October 21, 2024, by Ministry of Intelligence agents at his home in Karaj and taken to one of the city’s security detention centers.
During his detention, he was denied access to legal counsel. After 21 days of interrogation, he was transferred to Karaj Central Prison. He was released three days later on bail set at 200 million tomans.
Azhdar Piri Sarmanlou, 36, is a native of Urmia and a resident of Karaj. He is the editor-in-chief of the Research of Nations monthly.