Elnaz Shakerdoust sentenced to prison in Iran

Elnaz Shakerdoust Iranian cinema Tehran Revolutionary Court protest crackdown freedom of expression

Iranian actress Elnaz Shakerdoust has been sentenced to one year in prison and a two-year ban from political, artistic, and online activities. The Tehran Provincial Appeals Court upheld the initial ruling issued by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Shakerdoust was charged with propaganda against the regime following social media posts expressing grief for those killed during the January 2026 protests. Her lawyer, Houshang Pourbabayi, argued that the posts were merely expressions of human empathy and did not contain calls for illegal action or regime change.

While some reports suggest the conviction stemmed from spreading false claims regarding death tolls, the defense maintains the sentence is a punishment for mourning. Shakerdoust had previously stated she would no longer work in Iran, describing the country as a place that ‘smells of blood’ following the crackdown.

Entities

Elnaz Shakerdoost · Elnaz Shakerdoust · Houshang Pourbabayi · Human Rights Activists News Agency · Iran · Revolutionary Court of Tehran · Tehran Revolutionary Court

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Shakerdoust previously stated on Instagram that she would not work in Iran following the violent crackdown on protesters. www.stiripesurse.ro · www.zougla.gr · www.cnn.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Iranian authorities have acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the protests. www.stiripesurse.ro · www.zougla.gr · www.cnn.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] Defense attorney Houshang Pourbabayi stated the sentence was based on an emotional social media post expressing grief for those killed during protests. melliun.org · aftabnews.ir
[● 7 SOURCES] The Tehran Provincial Appeals Court upheld a one-year prison sentence for actress Elnaz Shakerdoust. melliun.org · noandish.com · aftabnews.ir · www.stiripesurse.ro · www.zougla.gr · +1 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Shakerdoust received a two-year ban from political, artistic, and online activities as a supplementary punishment. melliun.org · noandish.com · aftabnews.ir · www.stiripesurse.ro · www.zougla.gr · +1 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The court charged Shakerdoust with propaganda against the regime. aftabnews.ir