Court Rejects Conditional Release of Environmental Prisoners

A newspaper reported that the court has opposed the conditional release request of four imprisoned environmental activists, coinciding with the publication of a letter from them to the head of the judiciary requesting the 'implementation of the law' in their case. The newspaper 'Payam-e Ma' wrote that after six years of detention of several environmental experts and activists, the court did not agree to the 'conditional release' of Houman Jokar, Sepideh Kashani Doost, Niloufar Bayani, and Taher Ghaderian. The newspaper cited the case lawyer, stating that according to legal provisions applicable to all convicts, 'their right was freedom.' Since early Bahman 1396 (January 2018), these activists have been under detention for 2,216 days. 'Payam-e Ma' reported that during this time, numerous letters from civil and environmental activists were sent to the head of the judiciary for their release, but no action was taken on these requests. Accordingly, after six years and under conditions where all of them were eligible for 'conditional release,' the court issued a ruling opposing this matter. The newspaper emphasized that the convicted experts in the case known as the 'environmentalists' have not yet benefited from their legal right to conditional release, despite the exchange of Morad Tahbaz, the first person in this case. Kavous Seyed Emami, along with nine other environmental activists, was arrested in Bahman 1396 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The charges against them were declared 'espionage' by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, and shortly after, judicial officials informed Seyed Emami's family that he had committed suicide in prison, a claim his family denied. His death provoked significant reactions in Canada and the United States, and some human rights organizations criticized the Islamic Republic. Morad Tahbaz and Niloufar Bayani were sentenced to ten years in prison for 'collaboration with the U.S.,' while Houman Jokar and Taher Ghaderian received eight years for the same charge, and Sam Rajabi and Sepideh Kashani were sentenced to six years. Sam Rajabi was released in Azar (December) of this year. Additionally, Amir Hossein Khaleghi Hamid was sentenced to six years for 'espionage,' and Abdolreza Koohpayeh received four years for 'conspiracy to act against national security.' All detainees have denied the charges against them. Furthermore, human rights organizations have condemned the issuance of these sentences. In this context, the 'United Nations Environment Program' expressed deep concern over the heavy prison sentences for several environmental activists accused of 'espionage' in Iran. The spokesperson for the U.S. State Department also condemned the initial ruling of the Islamic Revolutionary Court for Iranian environmental activists, which imposed six to ten years of prison sentences. Meanwhile, Eisa Kalantari, the head of the Environmental Organization under Hassan Rouhani's government, reiterated in Shahrivar (September) of this year that all those arrested as environmental spies were 'innocent.'