Iranian woman sentenced to three years in prison for comment on Netanyahu social media post

In a recent legal proceeding, an Iranian woman named Azar Yahu was sentenced to three years in prison, with one year of that sentence to be served and the remaining two years suspended. The judgment came from Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad and was reportedly based on Yahu's comment on a social media post made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This decision has sparked widespread criticism from human rights groups.

According to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Yahu was charged with "cooperation with Israel" due to her comment, while Dadbaan, an Iranian legal advocacy network, reported that she was also accused of "acting against national security" for using heart stickers on Instagram posts by US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu. Additionally, she was accused of expressing joy over the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

During her incarceration before the trial, Yahu faced severe restrictions on communication, including being denied contact with her family. She was reportedly held in solitary confinement in unsanitary conditions, according to Sepideh Gholian, an Iranian human rights activist and former political prisoner. Gholian claimed that Yahu was placed in a cell where hygiene was not maintained, ventilation was poor, and basic necessities like a kitchen and healthy food were lacking.

Gholian stated that if Yahu protested her conditions, she would be sent to solitary confinement. Yahu continued to be detained in Central Prison of Mashhad despite posting bail, as security officials and prison authorities allegedly obstructed her release.