Iranian comedian Saeed Shakiba sentenced to five years in prison over a video imitating Khamenei's voice
Iranian comedian and blogger Saeed Shakiba has been sentenced to five years in prison by Tehran's Revolutionary Court after publishing a satirical video in which he imitated the voice of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The verdict, on a charge of 'assembly and collusion against national security', was issued by Branch 28 of the court and communicated to Shakiba on 11 November; he is held in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary. He was arrested in October, days after the video appeared on social media.
Key points
- Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Saeed Shakiba to five years in prison, on a charge of 'assembly and collusion against national security'.
- The case began with a satirical video in which the comedian imitated the voice of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; he was arrested in October.
- The verdict was communicated to him on 11 November; he is held in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary.
What happened
The case moved quickly: the video appeared in mid-October, the judiciary announced proceedings within days, and an indictment followed on 25 October. The hearing took place last week, and the sentence was communicated to Shakiba in prison on 11 November.
Branch 28 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court is one of the branches that regularly hears national-security cases. The conviction charge, 'assembly and collusion against national security', is a broad offence used in many political cases in Iran.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- That the sentence is five years, imposed by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on the national-security charge, on the agreement of HRANA, Hengaw and Iran International.
- That Shakiba is held in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary and was told of the verdict on 11 November.
What we don't know yet
- Whether Shakiba will appeal — no appeal or statement from him or a lawyer was reported in the coverage read.
- Whether the other indictment charges, including supporting Israel and the Pahlavi dynasty, were dropped, acquitted or remain pending — the reporting read does not say.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (3)
Why this label: Reported in the same terms by the human rights news agency HRANA and by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, and carried by Iran International — three reports agreeing on the court, the judge, the charge, the sentence and the date it was communicated.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The arrest and the video are reported by HRANA and Hengaw; Mizan's announcement of proceedings is the judiciary's own outlet — it verifies that the judiciary opened a case, and its description of the content is the authorities' characterisation.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The indictment's contents are reported by Iran International from state media and from Mizan, which said Tehran prosecutors had issued the indictment after investigating content the authorities described as insulting and offensive. The distinction between the indictment charges and the conviction charge is preserved from the reporting.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
A five-year sentence for a voice imitation shows where the line now sits for satire in Iran: impersonating the late Supreme Leader in a social-media video is treated not as mockery but as a national-security crime. The speed of the case — arrest in October, indictment within days, sentence in November — is part of the message.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published — the sentence, court and charge are confirmed by HRANA, Hengaw and Iran International.