A Lawyer's Reaction to the 'Unconventional Sentences' of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic; A Lament for Justice

With the continued issuance of 'strange and bizarre' sentences for women protesting mandatory hijab, especially actresses and artists, a lawyer and legal expert described these rulings as 'a lament for justice' in Iran's judicial system. Saleh Nikbakht, a lawyer, stated in an interview with Rouydad24 that, 'The main goal of punishment is to reform the offender and prevent them from repeating the crime, but the sentences recently issued in some Iranian courts are not only strange and bizarre but also indicate humiliation and animosity towards those who have rejected mandatory hijab.' He emphasized that 'this type of ruling can undermine the judiciary's reputation and the public's perception of justice.' In the latest ruling against journalists, human rights sources reported the sentencing of the mother of a jailed journalist in Qazvin to six months of 'community service' at a center for mentally disabled women. The news agency 'Hrana' reported that Mustafa Jafari's mother was accused of 'disrupting court order' while trying to post bail for her son. According to this report, the Seventh Branch of the Qazvin Revolutionary Court sentenced Golzar Ardham, 60, to six months of 'community service' at a facility for 'mentally and physically disabled women' under the supervision of Qazvin's Welfare Organization. In another ruling, Iranian media announced that an investigating judge in the Baharestan district requested journalists in the area to visit 'Welfare and Forensic Medicine' organizations for 'file formation.' According to this announcement, the judge stated that 'all journalists and media activists' in the region must introduce themselves to the Welfare and Forensic Medicine organizations for 'necessary health checks.' In recent months, following the nationwide protests last year, the issuance of strange and unconventional sentences by the Islamic Republic's judiciary has significantly increased. In one of the most famous cases, actress Afsaneh Bayegan was sentenced to treatment for 'anti-family personality disorder' due to her choice of clothing, which included 'weekly visits to a psychology center and obtaining a health certificate' and 'a two-year ban on using social media by disabling her SIM cards and mobile and landline phone lines.' Actress Azadeh Samadi was also sentenced to six months of social media activity prohibition for not adhering to mandatory hijab and must visit official psychological centers every two weeks and provide a health certificate for 'anti-social personality disorder' at the end. Iranian actress Leila Bolukat was sentenced to ten months of imprisonment in Semnan for wearing a 'hat.' The 1088th branch of the Criminal Court 2 announced her sentence with 'minor changes,' and this actress was sentenced to ten months of imprisonment in one of Semnan's prisons along with various restrictions on her civil rights. During the nationwide protests that began after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, several artists and actors published images of themselves without mandatory hijab in support of these protests. Some of these artists, including Katayoun Riahi, Hengameh Ghaziani, Afsaneh Bayegan, and Taraneh Alidoosti, were detained for a period or summoned and interrogated by security agencies. However, the resistance against mandatory hijab continues. A lawyer for Afsaneh Bayegan stated that the court's ruling is 'legally unfounded.' A member of the legal committee of the House of Cinema resigned, stating that the prevailing practice contradicts human dignity and human rights. Pejman Bazghi criticized the judicial rulings against actresses opposing mandatory hijab. The crackdown on opponents of mandatory hijab continues; Afsaneh Bayegan was sentenced to 'treatment for a mental illness.' The punishment for opposing mandatory hijab: ten months in Semnan for wearing a hat by Leila Bolukat. One of the rulings related to hijab was overturned; the Supreme Court stated that the court's reasoning is incorrect. Experts criticized the rulings of hijab courts: diagnosing a mental disorder is not within the judge's authority. Filmmakers protested against the bizarre ruling of an actress, calling it an insult to the intelligence of all cinema professionals. The judiciary's efforts to counter women's civil resistance continue with the issuance of 'astonishing' rulings. There was widespread user backlash against the headline and photo of the Tehran municipality's organ; it is shameful.