[2] Farhad Meysami graduated from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and opted for a career in high school education.
[3][4] Andisheh-Sazan was particularly known to high schoolers for its test preparation books published for the Iranian university entrance exam (in Iran:Concours).
[5] He went on a hunger strike on August 1, 2018, to protest against "unjustified accusations, the illegal procedure following his detention, and denial of his right to access an independent lawyer".
[7] The allegation brought against Meysami is acting against the national security,[8] a rather common accusation against political and civil rights activists in Iran.
[8][5][7][9][10] Reza Khandan, a friend of Meysami's who had several phone conversations with him after his detention, published the following lines on his Facebook on behalf of Meysami, explaining the reasons behind his hunger strike:[11] My hunger strike is out of respect for my own dignity and the dignity of those who have been detained on baseless accusations; those who are being interrogated while they have no access to a proper and legitimate legal representation.
[12] Human rights organizations have argued that it means there are only a few government picked lawyers who are allowed to represent political prisoners at court.
[15][16] While judicial officials denied him being on hunger strike, his lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi, said his client's life is in danger and he had lost 52 kg (115 lb).
Following US State Department support for Farhad Meysami, he wrote a sharp letter of criticism against US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Donald Trump administration: "I would rather spend my whole life in the imprisonment of a group of oppressive compatriots and spend my life trying to correct their mistakes,but I do not want the support of those who, by turning their backs on all principles of law and ethics, have come out of the wise and peaceful the JCPOA agreement and impoverished millions of my compatriots by imposing inhumane sanctions.
[19][20]In December 2018, Meysami was given a five-year prison sentence, a one-year restriction on his civil and political rights and a two-year travel ban by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court,[21] for charges of "spreading propaganda against the system" and "gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security".