Javad Rouhi has been in detention for '315 days'; the case of the young protester is in a 'strange limbo'

Despite the annulment of Javad Rouhi's three death sentences by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic, his lawyer states that this imprisoned protester remains 'in limbo' and his case is being passed around among several branches of the Revolutionary Court. Majid Kaveh, the lawyer for Javad Rouhi, a protester sentenced to three death penalties in connection with the protests in the second half of 2022 in Mazandaran, said on Tuesday, August 7, that 'more than two months after the annulment of the death sentence,' the status of the case is still unclear, and its administrative process is being pursued 'in a strange limbo.' According to a report from the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, Javad Rouhi, a 35-year-old protester from Amol, was identified as 'one of the main leaders' of the protests in Nourshahr on Sunday, December 11, 2022. Following this, Javad Rouhi, who was arrested on the evening of September 21, was charged with 'corruption on earth' and 'waging war against God' with allegations of 'disturbing public order and security, inciting some citizens to create insecurity, conspiracy to commit crimes against the internal security of the country, apostasy through disrespecting the Quran and burning it, and insulting sacred values,' and was sentenced to three death penalties and seven and a half years of imprisonment by the first branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sari; however, in early June 2023, this sentence was annulled by the decision of the advisor and deputy of the ninth branch of the Supreme Court. In an interview with the Shargh newspaper, Majid Kaveh emphasized the 'indecision of this prisoner and the disregard for the Supreme Court's ruling,' stating: 'Javad Rouhi's conviction is contradictory both in terms of the limits of punishment for corruption on earth and waging war against God and in terms of the punishment for several counts of imprisonment as described in the verdict, and for this reason, it cannot be upheld.' This lawyer, emphasizing the 'confusion of the case after the annulment of the sentence,' stated that after sending the case to the judiciary of Sari County, 'given the dissolution of the special branch for handling crimes in the provincial Revolutionary Court' and 'the expiration of its mission period,' this protester's case was sent for review to an equivalent branch of the 'Revolutionary Court of Tonkabon,' but that court deemed itself 'not competent to handle it' and referred the case to 'the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Amol,' which also deemed itself 'not competent' and 'sent it to the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sari,' and ultimately the case was referred to 'the eighth branch of the provincial appeals court of Mazandaran' for 'determining the competent court' and remains unresolved. Javad Rouhi's defense lawyer added that his client has been in 'temporary detention' in Nourshahr for more than '315 days' since 'September 21, 2022,' without changing the security measure. Kaveh Rad expressed hope that with the determination of a competent branch to review his client's case, it would be possible to submit a request for 'changing the security measure' for Javad Rouhi 'from temporary detention to other lighter security measures,' allowing for his release. The Islamic Republic has executed seven of the detainees from the nationwide protests of the second half of 2022. Additionally, two Afghan nationals have been executed in connection with the attack on Shah Cheragh in Shiraz. While the threat of execution still looms over several detained protesters, security and judicial officials of the Islamic Republic have issued a death sentence for Mujahid Korkor, attributing the attack on November 16 in Izeh to him. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, a human rights researcher, told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic wants to cover up its crime of killing Kian Pirfalak with the execution of Mujahid Korkor.