Exclusive; Lawyer of Fatemeh Sepehri Calls for Suspension of Sentence for This Political Prisoner

The defense lawyer of Fatemeh Sepehri described the latest situation of this political prisoner opposed to the Islamic Republic in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad and emphasized her deprivation of medical care after surgery, calling for her release. Khosrow Ali-Kordi, announcing his acceptance of the defense of Fatemeh Sepehri, said in an exclusive message to the Persian section of Voice of America on Tuesday, October 10, that his client "was transferred to Vakilabad Prison after undergoing a difficult, complex, and sensitive open-heart surgery" and "after spending a short time in the intensive care unit of Qaem Hospital in Mashhad, on Saturday she was moved to prison." He stated that "given the sensitivity of the surgery performed and the fact that the recovery period must be spent in a completely isolated environment," the place of detention for Fatemeh Sepehri in prison "lacks the minimum standards during the post-operative period" and "may pose life-threatening risks for her." Khosrow Ali-Kordi also emphasized that the legislator has predicted "suspension of the sentence" in such circumstances, calling on the head of the judiciary to issue an "immediate order for the release of Fatemeh Sepehri." This lawyer also wrote on the messaging platform "X" that Fatemeh Sepehri needs "special post-operative care" and "is unable to endure imprisonment." Ali-Kordi urged judicial authorities to apply Article 502 of the Criminal Procedure Code in his client's case. A week after Fatemeh Sepehri's open-heart surgery, the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic transferred her "without informing the family" from the intensive care unit of the hospital to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad. Fatemeh Sepehri's mother announced on Sunday, October 8, that "upon the family's visit to Vakilabad Prison, we were unable to meet her or speak with her on the phone." She emphasized that she is "very worried" about her daughter Fatemeh Sepehri and that "we know how sick she was," detailing the situation of her other detained children, Hossein and Mohammad Hossein, and stated that "if any trouble or illness occurs for my children, Mr. Khamenei" and those responsible who "armed them and set them against the nation" are accountable and "I hope they will soon be tried in a court of justice." Fatemeh Sepehri was arrested shortly after the killing of Mahsa Amini and the beginning of nationwide protests in Iran and has been in prison for over a year. Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, a teacher and political activist opposed to the Islamic Republic, announced on October 5 in a video message from outside Qaem Hospital that his sister Fatemeh Sepehri, who "has undergone three surgeries in the past two years," was transferred to the emergency room of the hospital due to a heart condition. This teacher conveyed Fatemeh Sepehri's message from prison as follows: "My sister had a message and asked me to tell Ali Khamenei that I will not stop until I uproot that weed that grew in the pure soil of this country in 1979 and for which we gave everything, even blood! Death to Khamenei, curse on Khomeini!" He addressed the leader of the Islamic Republic, saying: "Ali Khamenei! You who constantly recite elegies about the prisons of Harun, about the prisons of Hajjaj [ibn Yusuf], about your innocent Musa ibn Jafar, do you know what is happening in your own prisons? Yes, you know!" Following these statements, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri and his other brother Hossein Sepehri were arrested. Fatemeh Sepehri had previously told Voice of America: "The people do not want the Islamic Republic, and this time they will finish the job."