Execution of Prison Sentence for the Tohidi Sisters Despite Announced Pardon

Zahra and Hedi Tohidi, political activists, were arrested and transferred to Evin Prison on Wednesday, June 10, despite being pardoned and their case being closed. The Tohidi sisters were detained on September 21 during the early days of nationwide protests and were released on bail after about three months on December 17. The Revolutionary Court sentenced Zahra Tohidi and Hedi (Zohreh) Tohidi, former members of the National Unity Party, to one year in prison for 'collusion and conspiracy against national security' and 'propaganda against the regime.' The lawyers of these two political activists pointed out that their clients had been pardoned, deeming the execution of their prison sentence as a violation of legal principles. Saeed Khalili, one of the lawyers for the Tohidi sisters, criticized the 'deviation' from the 'legal ruling,' emphasizing their eligibility for pardon and the closure of their prosecution. Ali Mojtahedzadeh, another lawyer for Zahra and Hedi Tohidi, described the 'sudden execution of their sentence' as 'astonishing.' Previously, several civil and political activists had labeled the 'leader's pardon' as a performative and deceptive act. The sudden execution of the Tohidi sisters' prison sentence comes while, according to the Shargh newspaper, the execution order for these two journalists had not been registered in the judiciary's electronic system, and their lawyers had not been informed either. Earlier, Reza Moieni described the detention of 100 journalists in recent months as unprecedented in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America.