Continued Summons and Arrests of Political and Civil Activists; Mohammad Seifzadeh: I Will Not Attend Court

Mohammad Seifzadeh, a lawyer and legal expert, announced his summons to Branch 29 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran on Saturday, May 9, and stated that he will not attend this court. In a post published on social media on Wednesday, May 6, he deemed the Revolutionary Courts as 'illegal' and said he would not participate in the sessions of this court and would not submit a defense statement. Mr. Seifzadeh emphasized that according to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, political defendants must be tried in judicial courts with the presence of a real jury and publicly. This 75-year-old lawyer, while rejecting the new charges against him, added that he would not attend the court and is willing to go to prison again despite multiple illnesses. Mohammad Seifzadeh, who has been accused of propaganda against the regime and spreading falsehoods to disturb public opinion, claims that the reason for this new case against him is a letter he wrote to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This letter, signed by 45 lawyers and human rights activists, emphasized that seeking justice is the right of all people in Iran. Mohammad Seifzadeh, a lawyer and vice president of the Human Rights Defenders Association, has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times over the years. The continued arrests and summons of political activists by security agencies persist despite global criticism of the human rights situation in Iran. Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, a political activist and advisor to Mir Hossein Mousavi, was arrested by security forces on Tuesday, May 5. Before his arrest, he stated in a virtual conference 'Dialogue for the Rescue of Iran' that the window for reforms is completely closed and Iran is on the brink of change. No information has been released regarding the reason for his arrest, the detaining agency, or his condition. Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, a writer, translator, and CEO of 'Roozaneh' publishing, served as the secretary of Mousavi's government during his premiership. Additionally, according to the website Khabar Online, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, security agents raided the home of Ghorban Behzadian Nejad, one of his senior advisors, confiscating some of his belongings and taking his electronic devices. According to this report, Mr. Behzadian Nejad has been summoned to the Evin Prosecutor's Office for the morning of Sunday, May 10. Ghorban Behzadian Nejad was the head of Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign in 2009, during which he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison due to protests against the presidential election results. He was also sentenced to one year in prison in November 2019. The arrests of Mr. Beheshti Shirazi and the summons of Mr. Behzadian Nejad occurred following their speeches at the online conference 'Dialogue for the Rescue of Iran.' Meanwhile, Samaneh Nowruz Moradi, a political activist, was arrested by security forces at her home in Tehran on Tuesday, May 4. There is no information available regarding the reason for her arrest or her place of detention. Samaneh Nowruz Moradi has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times in the past. Some of her acquaintances have expressed concern for her physical health due to her multiple illnesses. Keyvan Samimi, a journalist and political activist, was also arrested on April 20 for the umpteenth time, and his family has not received any information regarding the reason for his arrest or his place of detention. Mostafa Nili, Mr. Samimi's lawyer, expressed concern on Twitter on May 5 regarding the lack of information about his client's condition, considering his age and health status. Keyvan Samimi, 74 years old, is referred to as the oldest imprisoned journalist and has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times over the years. UN special rapporteurs and human rights organizations consider such arrests to be 'arbitrary' and have repeatedly called on Iranian officials to release political prisoners. The International Federation of Journalists: Free Keyvan Samimi and other imprisoned journalists. The US representative for Iran criticized the torture of Mahvash Sabet, a Baha'i prisoner in Iran. A recent report from a human rights organization details torture, sexual assault, and the disappearance of children in Iran. A human rights organization reported that 14 people were arrested in three provinces of Iran on 'political charges.' Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were accused of 'collaborating with the US.'