Armita Paveer, Imprisoned Student Activist, Sentenced to Imprisonment

The Revolutionary Court of Azarshahr sentenced Armita Paveer, a imprisoned student activist, to 22 months and 17 days in prison. This protesting student was sentenced to seven months and sixteen days for 'insulting the leadership' and to fifteen months and one day for 'propaganda against the regime'. According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, among the accusations against Armita Paveer are 'posting images on social media' and 'participating in student protests at the Civil University of Azerbaijan'. HRANA reports that if this ruling is upheld in the appeals court, the maximum sentence of fifteen months and one day in prison will be enforceable. This molecular biology student at the Civil University of Tabriz has been in detention since September 21 of this year and had previously gone on a hunger strike in protest of her indefinite detention. In an audio file, she held the government officials 'directly' responsible for any 'problems' she might face. Armita Paveer, 29 years old, was first arrested on November 9, 2022, during nationwide protests and was released on bail of 250 million tomans on December 8. Recently, about 200 activists signed a statement criticizing the continued detention of several 'national, civil, and political activists' in various cities, including Tabriz, and called for their release. Additionally, pressure on students, particularly female students, has intensified following the nationwide protests of 'Women, Life, Freedom'. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, claimed on September 25 of this year that 'enemies' consider universities as 'the focal point of all their efforts' to 'distort minds, conquer hearts, dominate the realm of thought and beliefs of our youth'. The continued detention of protesters; Armita Paveer was arrested and transferred to an unknown location. Protests and sit-ins continue at many universities in Iran; there are concerns about the situation of detained students. Exclusive; lack of information about Arsham Rezaei and Zartosht Ahmadinejad; Armita Paveer has gone on hunger strike. Hengaw: At least 168 people were arrested last month in Iran.