A Group of Iranian Documentarians Testify to the 'Innocence' of Detained Environmental Activists

A number of Iranian documentarians have testified to the 'innocence' of eight detained environmental activists in a letter addressed to the head of Iran's judiciary, calling for a 'fair and transparent' investigation into their case. The letter, which has been reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), expresses concern for the fate of Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Hooman Jokar, Sam Rajabi, Taher Ghaderian, Niloufar Bayani, Sepideh Kashani, Morad Tahbaz, and Abdolreza Kouhpayeh. The eight environmental activists have been in detention by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since last year. Initially, the judiciary announced charges of 'spying for foreigners' against them, but months later, some were charged with 'corruption on earth,' which could result in the death penalty. This case has also been overshadowed by the death of Kavous Seyed-Emami, head of the Persian Wildlife Foundation, who died in custody of the IRGC, with officials attributing his death to 'suicide.' In their letter, the '160 Iranian documentarians' wrote to Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of Iran's judiciary, stating that the detained environmental activists have dedicated most of their lives to raising awareness about the endangered environment in Iran and protecting the country's wildlife, including being key defenders of the Asiatic cheetah, which has become a symbol of environmentalism in Iran. The signatories of the letter deemed the accusations of 'spying and treason, and the charge of corruption on earth' against these eight activists as unbelievable, emphasizing that 'anyone who knows them has only seen their efforts for the prosperity of this land.' Previously, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and a four-member committee appointed by the president to investigate this case have rejected the espionage charges against these environmental activists. The letter from the documentarians also refers to the ruling of the Ministry of Intelligence and the four-member committee, stating that 'every day the number of witnesses to their innocence is increasing.' Ultimately, these documentarians told Mr. Larijani that they request 'transparent and fair proceedings, a public trial, and the right to freely choose a lawyer for the defendants.' So far, three court sessions for the eight environmental activists have been held privately, with only 'trusted' lawyers from the judiciary present in all three sessions.