A Student Sentenced to Six Years in Prison; Poor Conditions of Several Political Prisoners

Simultaneously with reports of a six-year prison sentence for Soha Mortazavi, a student activist, there are also reports about the ongoing hunger strike of Farhad Mithaemi and the poor conditions of Hangameh Shahidi and Arash Sadeghi in prison. According to reports from the Telegram channel of the Student Guild Councils of the country, Soha Mortazavi, the central student guild secretary at the University of Tehran, who was arrested during the protests last December, has been sentenced to six years in prison and two years of deprivation of membership in political parties and groups. This sentence was issued in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Masallah Ahmadzadeh. Soha Mortazavi was arrested along with dozens of other students during the protests last December. This heavy prison sentence for the student comes at a time when the Minister of Science and officials from this ministry had previously reported on negotiations with the judiciary to reduce the sentences of arrested students. In recent months, protests against these sentences have also been held. 125 professors from various universities in Iran and 68 student organizations have protested against the issuance of long prison sentences for students. On Tuesday, reports were also published about the poor conditions of several political prisoners. According to reports, Farhad Mithaemi's hunger strike continues despite his poor physical condition. This civil activist and 48-year-old doctor was arrested on August 1, and according to his mother, he has been on hunger strike since then in protest against his arrest and 'unjust charges.' Meanwhile, journalist Zhila Baniyaghoub reported on Saturday that Mr. Mithaemi stated in a phone call from prison that his blood pressure was six over four and that he had received an IV in the prison infirmary. According to this journalist, Mr. Mithaemi announced that he would not accept the IV starting Sunday. Complaint of Hangameh Shahidi's lawyer against the judge of the case. On Tuesday, Mustafa Torkhamdani, the lawyer for Hangameh Shahidi, announced that he had filed a complaint against the judge of his client's case for 'illegally' rejecting his representation. He added: 'I approached the court as Ms. Shahidi's defense attorney, but the judge did not accept my representation.' Mr. Torkhamdani stated that Ms. Shahidi's case has been sent to court, and for this reason, she is subject to the provisions of Article 48 of the new Criminal Procedure Code. Judiciary officials had previously announced that the list of 'trusted lawyers' of the judiciary is only for the interrogation stage of political and security prisoners. However, some lawyers have stated that the judiciary has 'extended this law to primary courts, revolutionary courts, and even appellate courts.' The Tehran prosecutor's office announced on June 26 the arrest of political activist Hangameh Shahidi on the island of Kish. On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch reported that Arash Sadeghi, a political prisoner who 'is suffering from a type of cancer, has been returned to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj without completing his treatment.' Amnesty International called for the immediate transfer of Arash Sadeghi from Evin prison to a specialized cancer center on July 5, stating that he 'is facing a diagnosis of a bone tumor that may be cancerous.'