The Court of Appeals of Markazi Province confirmed the sentence of 40 lashes issued against Salahuddin Khalaj Asadi, a journalist for the weekly “Cheshm Be Rah.” This inhumane sentence was issued following a complaint by Masoud Pirayesh, Director General of the Department of Sports and Youth of Markazi Province, against Mr. Khalaj Asadi.
Salahuddin Khalaj Asadi, in response to this sentence, released a video on the Telegram channel of the weekly “Cheshm Be Rah.” In the video, he protested against the sentence and said that the court sentenced him to 40 lashes on the charge of “insulting a government official,” under Article 609 of the Islamic Penal Code.
According to a news report published by the weekly “Cheshm Be Rah” along with Mr. Khalaj Asadi’s video, the case was filed following a complaint by Masoud Pirayesh, Director General of the Department of Sports and Youth of Markazi Province, against Mr. Khalaj Asadi. In this case, he was acquitted of the charges of “insulting an individual, slander, and spreading falsehoods.”
In part of the video, the journalist emphasized that he “absolutely does not accept the alleged crime of insulting a government official” and said, “In all instances, I requested from the investigating judge to obtain inquiries according to the law to prove the truth of my statements. However, this level of accusation against a journalist, even when they know it to be true, has been like a game to silence a critic and prevent a journalist from performing their duties.”