Ali Zare'an, a prominent Iranian nationalist activist, has been sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Ali Zare'an Shiravaneh-deh, a prominent Iranian nationalist activist and graduate of the University of Tehran, has been sentenced to two years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

He was initially arrested last November but was released on bail before being rearrested in November. His second arrest followed a public protest at the Tehran Theatre City metro station, where he condemned the beating and detention of a woman resisting the compulsory hijab law.

After his arrest, Mr. Zare'an Shiravaneh-deh was held in solitary confinement and interrogated for 77 days in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a section notorious for housing political prisoners, under the supervision of the Islamic Republic Ministry of Intelligence. He was charged with "conspiracy against national security" due to alleged "collaboration with opposition groups and monarchists." In addition to his two-year prison sentence, the court imposed a travel ban and prohibited him from participating in political or social organizations.

He confided in close friends that during his final interrogation session, the interrogator expressed frustration, saying, "I've gathered so much testimony from you, but you never admitted once that the Pahlavi dynasty is an enemy of Iran." This remark reflects the ongoing tension between the Islamic Republic regime and nationalist figures who align with Iran's pre-revolutionary monarchy.