Fatemeh Sepehri and Her Two Brothers Sentenced to Long Prison Terms on Similar Charges

The Fifth Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad has sentenced Fatemeh Sepehri, a political prisoner, along with her brothers Hossein and Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, to long prison terms. Asghar Sepehri, Fatemeh's brother, wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Fatemeh Sepehri has been sentenced to a total of 18 years and six months in prison, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri to eight years, and Hossein Sepehri to five years and six months. According to him, the charges against the three members of the Sepehri family include 'supporting Israel,' 'conspiracy to commit a crime against national security,' 'insulting Khamenei,' and 'propaganda against the regime.' Mr. Sepehri further stated that 'my sister has been in prison since September 21, 2022, her phone is heavily monitored, and despite undergoing open-heart surgery on October 29 and hand surgery on July 23 last year, she has not been granted any leave.' The Sepehri family had previously announced via a video on social media that she was accused of 'supporting Israel' for condemning the October 7 attack by the extremist group Hamas on Israel. In one of her last statements published last year, she mentioned that the Middle East has 'not seen peace since the establishment of the Islamic Republic' and hopes that the Iranian government's case will be 'closed in the storm of Al-Aqsa they have unleashed.' Fatemeh Sepehri is one of the signatories of a letter requesting the resignation of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who was arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic at the beginning of the nationwide protests for 'Women, Life, Freedom' on September 21, 2022.