Four Defendants in the 'Ekbatana Case' Arrested After Court Proceedings

The lawyer of one of the defendants in the 'Ekbatana Case' related to the protests of 2022 states that the bail terms for his client and three other defendants have unexpectedly been converted to detention following the last court session. Payam Darfashan, the lawyer for Hossein Nemat, wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, November 13, that his client, along with Alireza Barmarzpournak, Alireza Kafayi, and Amir Mohammad Khosh-eqbal, have been transferred to Qazalhasar Prison after their arrest. Mr. Darfashan further stated that 'no new charges' have been brought against these individuals, adding that 'the reason for the change in terms is unclear to the lawyers.' The last defense session for other defendants in this case, Milad Armon, Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran, who are being held in Qazalhasar Prison, was held on Saturday, November 12. The first session of the 'Ekbatana Town' case was held in the Revolutionary Court. During the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests last November, a Basij force named Arman Ali-Vardi was killed in Ekbatana Town in northwestern Tehran, after which security forces arrested 50 young residents of this town. The judiciary of the Islamic Republic subsequently issued indictments for 14 individuals in this regard, among whom four defendants were charged with 'Moharebeh' (waging war against God). Other charges in this case include 'participation in premeditated murder' and 'disturbing public order and tranquility.' The case of Milad Armon, Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran was sent to Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court and part of it to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Abolqasem Salavati, after deficiencies were rectified in September of this year. Amir Mohammad Khosh-eqbal, another defendant in the 'Ekbatana Case', was temporarily released. Four defendants in this case, namely Hossein Nemat, Alireza Barmarzpournak, Alireza Kafayi, and Amir Mohammad Khosh-eqbal, were released from Qazalhasar Prison last February after posting bail. Some of the defendants in this case have been charged with Moharebeh, which can carry the death penalty. The Islamic Republic has executed nine individuals named Mohammad Mahdi Karami, Mohammad Qobadlu, Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Hosseini, Saleh Mirhashimi, Saeed Yaghoubi, Majid Kazemi, and Milad Zahrawand in connection with the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. Meanwhile, lawyers for these protesters and political and human rights activists claim that the cases against these protesters are fraught with contradictions and that the basic rights of these individuals have not been respected at various stages of the proceedings.