Raisdana was arrested on March 21, 2012 in Tehran after criticizing the Iranian subsidy reform plan in an interview with BBC Persian and given a one-year sentence at Evin Prison, for a series of charges including "membership in the Writer's Association, preparing seditious announcements against the regime, giving interviews to BBC and VOA, and accusing the Islamic Republic of abusing prisoners and holding show trials". Individuals and associations such as the Iranian Writers' Association, The Middle East Economic Association, and The Workers' Rights Defenders spoke out against his arrest.[2][3]