Athena Farghadani's Lawyer Reports Her Six-Year Prison Sentence; Calls Court a 'Show Trial'

Mohammad Moqimi, the lawyer of Athena Farghadani, a cartoonist imprisoned in the jails of the Islamic Republic, announced on Tuesday, June 11, that his client has been sentenced to six years in prison in a 'show trial' of the Revolution Court. In a post on his account on X, he wrote: 'My client Athena Farghadani has been sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Show Court to 5 years and 1 year in prison for the charges of insulting the sacred and propaganda against the regime, respectively, and this verdict was communicated to her on June 11.' He emphasized the 'show trial' nature of this court, adding: 'The court has considered the maximum punishment for the two mentioned charges under the pretext of multiple crimes.' Athena Farghadani, an artist and former political prisoner, was violently arrested on April 14 of this year when she attempted to install one of her works on the wall of Pasteur Street, where the presidential office is located, and was transferred to Qarchak Prison. Farghadani's lawyer had previously told the Persian section of Voice of America that this critical artist has always been harassed by intelligence agencies since her release from prison in 2016. In August 2014, Farghadani was also sentenced to 12 years and 9 months in prison for charges of 'activities against the regime,' 'insulting members of parliament through drawing cartoons,' and 'gathering and colluding against national security.' The reason for her arrest was a cartoon that depicted members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly as monkeys and goats in protest against two bills on 'voluntary sterilization' and 'preventing access to contraceptive tools.' Two years later, following public pressure and a joint letter from dozens of prominent cartoonists and human rights groups demanding her immediate release, the appellate court reduced her sentence to 18 months, and she was released in May 2017. Several international organizations advocating for artists' rights, including 'PEN America,' 'Artists at Risk Connection,' 'Cartooning for Peace,' and 'Cartoonists Rights Network International,' condemned the violent arrest of Athena Farghadani on April 23, 2024, and called for her immediate release from Evin Prison. The PEN America Freedom to Write Index report in 2022 ranked the Islamic Republic of Iran second, after China, for the highest number of imprisoned writers worldwide. This index also showed that more than one-third of imprisoned female writers globally are incarcerated in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mohammad Moqimi: Athena Farghadani's protest art received significant attention on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Oslo Freedom Forum. International organizations defending artists' rights called for the immediate release of Athena Farghadani from prison. A lawyer revealed details of the 'torture' of Athena Farghadani in the 'safe house' of the IRGC. Athena Farghadani was transferred to Qarchak Prison after her arrest with 'beating and assault.' Anniversary of Mahsa; PEN America: Human rights experts should investigate the repression of writers and artists in Iran.