Free Mohammad Ali Jannatkhah
Defend Freedom of Thought, Research, and Expression
Mohammad Ali Jannatkhah is an Iranian entrepreneur, writer, and independent researcher.

More than a decade ago, he founded Tarafdari, a sports media platform that grew into one of Iran's most recognized sports websites. After leaving that chapter of his career, he devoted himself to independent research and public commentary, publishing analyses on geopolitics, politics, philosophy, and the concept of freedom.

Over the years, many people followed his work because they believed his analyses were thoughtful and, in several cases, accurately anticipated future developments. Among them was a warning—made years before the 2025 Iran–Israel conflict—that the direction of Iranian foreign policy could ultimately lead to military confrontation.

During the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, supporters report that security forces attempted to arrest Mr. Jannatkhah. According to those accounts, he tried to escape by jumping from a window, suffering a fractured pelvis. They further state that he was later sentenced to three years in prison on charges related to "strengthening the positions of Israel"—a charge his supporters strongly reject and consider incompatible with his long-standing commitment to Iran and its people.

In recent years, Mohammad Ali Jannatkhah focused his research on the philosophical foundations of freedom. He published the results in a book titled Theory of Freedom, in which he presents a framework that he argues offers a solution to one of the world's most important technological challenges: the safe control of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While this claim remains open to scientific evaluation and debate, his work deserves to be examined by researchers—not silenced through imprisonment.

According to reports from his supporters, on July 2026, Mr. Jannatkhah received a phone call instructing him to visit an office to collect paperwork related to the removal of restrictions on his mobile phone line. Upon arriving, he was instead informed that his previous prison sentence would be enforced and was taken into custody.

Whether one agrees with Mohammad Ali Jannatkhah's political opinions or scientific ideas is beside the point.

A society committed to justice should protect the right of individuals to think, write, publish, and engage in peaceful intellectual debate.

We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to:

Respect Mohammad Ali Jannatkhah's legal rights and due process.
Ensure he has full access to legal counsel and communication with his family.
Provide transparency regarding the legal basis for his detention.
Release him if his imprisonment is based solely on the peaceful expression of his ideas, research, or writings.
The progress of science and humanity depends on the free exchange of ideas.

No researcher, author, or thinker should lose their freedom for peacefully expressing their beliefs.

Please sign this petition to support freedom of thought, academic inquiry, and the protection of peaceful expression.