News Center- Iranian cartoonist Athena Farghdani, former political prisoner, has been arrested after being summoned to testify by the Evin Prosecutor’s Office. Her lawyer Mohammad Moghimi tweeted that the reason for her arrest is still unknown.

 Athena Farghdani studied Fine and Art at the Alzahra University in Tehran. She was one of the best students at the university; however, she was prevented from getting a master’s degree by the members of the parliament. In addition to artistic activities, she also teaches children to paint as part of a project launched by an association defending the rights of working children.

She has been arrested many times

After she was prohibited from studying, she was arrested in August 2014 and jailed for three months in Evin Prison in Tehran on charges of spreading propaganda, insulting members of parliament, and insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran.. She was released from prison in November. She then posted a video online in which she explained to the public about her experience in Evin prison and that she was being strip-searched, beaten and verbally abused by guards. In January 2015, she was arrested again. Three weeks later, she went on a hunger strike to protest the prison conditions. She suffered a heart attack in February 2015.

On June 1, 2015, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to 12 years and nine months in prison. Her prison sentence was then reduced to seven years and six months according to Article 134 of the new Islamic Penal Code. On May 3, 2016, she was released from prison.