Authorities summoned Shirazi, the editor-in-chief of the now-defunct reformist daily Kalameh Sabz, to serve a five-year sentence in Evin Prison, according to reformist news websites. Kalemeh Sabz was one of the initial Green Movement publications, which arose after the disputed 2009 election and criticized the government’s policies, according to news reports.
Shirazi was first arrested in December 2009 and transferred to solitary confinement in Evin Prison, according to reformist news websites. He was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “acting against national security,” but was released on bail in October 2010, the report said. He was summoned to begin serving his prison term in July 2011.
In May 2013, in an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani from prison, Shirazi expressed concern about the country’s economic policies and decisions made by Rouhani’s administration. The letter was published by the reformist website Kaleme.
According to Kaleme, Shirazi was released on a two-week furlough in September 2013. He returned to Evin Prison on October 6, 2013.