Father of Pooja Bakhtiari Summoned Again on Charges of 'Spreading Falsehoods'; Manouchehr Bakhtiari's Wife to Judiciary: Shame on Your Judgment

Iranian judicial authorities have once again summoned Manouchehr Bakhtiari, the father of Pooja Bakhtiari, an imprisoned human rights advocate, online, creating a new case against him. This is the third case opened against Manouchehr Bakhtiari during his detention. On Tuesday, March 13, he received a notification stating that he has been summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Qazvin on charges of 'spreading falsehoods.' According to an image of the notification shared by Sara Abassi, Manouchehr Bakhtiari's wife, the Fourth Investigation Branch of the Qazvin Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office has requested him to 'appear within six days' to defend himself against this accusation 'through computer systems in this branch.' Sara Abassi stated, 'Tonight is the eve of Chaharshanbe Suri, but we have not had happiness for over four years,' and added, 'The interesting thing about this notification is that it seems the judge is unaware that Manouchehr Bakhtiari has been in prison and exile for over three years and has said that your absence equals your arrest, and you must bring a guarantor for bail.' She addressed the judiciary, saying, 'You have sentenced him to 29 years of imprisonment and exile for being a father and for patriotism, and every time you create a new case so that Manouchehr Bakhtiari is never released; well, just give him a life sentence and save on issuing notifications. Shame on you and your judgment.' Manouchehr Bakhtiari, who has been arrested previously for his advocacy, was last violently detained at his home by intelligence agents on April 28, 2021, and the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced him to 'three years and six months in prison, two years and six months in exile, and two years of travel ban.' After completing his interrogation, he was transferred to the Central Prison of Karaj and was taken to the Choubin-Dar Prison in Qazvin in the summer of 2022, where he has been held since. This political prisoner was tried in another case that opened during his detention via video conference in the First Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Karaj, presided over by Mousa Asf al-Hosseini, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 74 lashes. In response to the issuance of this sentence, Saba Bakhtiari, the sister of this political prisoner, told Voice of America that he has done nothing but seek justice for his child and for the land of Iran, and 'our people's struggle' against the Islamic Republic continues without fear of prison. Manouchehr Bakhtiari, while in prison, was also sentenced to six months in prison in another case during a video conference trial by the First Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Qazvin. In recent weeks, Manouchehr Bakhtiari's wife has reported on his deteriorating health in prison, stating that he 'collapsed and fell' due to urinary tract obstruction and severe blood pressure drops.