Defense journalist Mohammad Yousefi demands his doctoral papers
The defence team demanded that journalist Mohammad Yousefi, on Tuesday 10 November 2026, lift the administrative disruption that makes it impossible for him to obtain scientific documents related to his doctoral thesis project from inside Mornaguia's civil prison. The authority confirmed that the continued detention of documents threatens to deprive Yousef from completing the university application file, which expires on 25 November 2026.
The Authority explained that since Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Muhammad Yousefi has submitted to the prison department the report of the thesis project and its plan which bears the title Mohammed Sharafi 1936-2008 historical biography, and he has also re-submitted the same documents more than three times in order to refer them to the dean of the college and professor al-Mrah. She pointed out that the efforts included filing demands to the investigating judge and to the General Prison Authority and reform, which she consented to without actually carrying out.
The demands include enabling Youssef to enter the books, references and research documents necessary for the preparation of the dissertation, as well as providing the necessary means of viewing and writing inside the prison, including meeting his request by providing a table and a chair. The defense held that the suspension did not violate the prisoner's right to education and scientific research, which is enshrined in the applicable legal and regulatory provisions.
In its requests, the Authority relied on the provisions of Law No. 52 of 2001 relating to the prison system, which recognizes in its first chapter the right of a prisoner to education and composition and guarantees in its section 19 his right to writing tools and books, as well as the constitutional guarantees contained in chapters 44 and 45 relating to the right to education and freedom of scientific research.
The defence team had earlier warned of the risk of depriving journalist Mohammad Yousefi of completing the dissertation proceedings as a result of continued reservation of the thesis plan in Mornaguia Civil Prison.
The defence team held the relevant judicial and administrative bodies fully responsible for any delays that may result from missed filing of the university file, calling for expeditious authorization to refer documents to the university before the legal deadline expires.
