Although Ronaghi-Maleki suffers from heart and kidney problems, during his custody, the prison guards denied him medical treatment. When he went on a hunger strike to protest his maltreatment and torture, he was placed in solitary confinement.[4][5] Though his brother was released, scarred by beatings, Hossein Ronaghi's permanent release was not announced until June 2019.[6] He was under intense pressure to make a televised confession of his alleged wrongdoing. Ronaghi-Maleki was handed a 15-years long prison sentence.[7] Neither his lawyer nor his family were present for the verdict.[8][9][10][11][12]