Judiciary Does Not Consider the Sentencing of the Tohidi Sisters as 'Eligible for Amnesty'

The judiciary's news agency reacted to reports regarding the execution of the sentences for Zahra and Hedi Tohidi, which had been criticized by their lawyers, denying that they were eligible for 'amnesty' and defending the manner of executing the sentences. The Mizan news agency stated that the 'connection' of the two sisters with 'hostile and subversive groups' was the reason for their ineligibility for 'amnesty' and denied any issuance of a 'suspension of prosecution' or 'cancellation' regarding these two political activists. The judiciary's news agency also denied that they were 'summoned by phone' for the execution of the sentence, stating that a written notification had been sent to both defendants through the Sana system. Last week, reports emerged indicating that Zahra and Hedi Tohidi, political activists, were arrested and transferred to Evin Prison on Wednesday, June 10, despite being granted amnesty and their case being closed, following a phone summons to the prosecutor's office. The Tohidi sisters were arrested on September 21 during the early days of nationwide protests and were released on bail on December 17 after about three months. The Revolutionary Court sentenced Zahra Tohidi and Hedi (Zahra) Tohidi, former members of the National Unity Party, to one year of imprisonment for 'collusion and conspiracy against national security' and 'propaganda against the regime.' Their lawyers, referring to their clients being granted amnesty, had described the execution of their prison sentences as a violation of legal principles. Saeed Khalili, one of the Tohidi sisters' lawyers, criticized the 'deviation' from the 'legal ruling,' emphasizing their eligibility for amnesty and the closure of their prosecution. Ali Mojtahedzadeh, another lawyer for Zahra and Hedi Tohidi, also called the 'sudden execution of their sentence' 'astonishing.' Previously, several civil and political activists had described the 'Supreme Leader's amnesty' as a performative and deceptive action. The sudden execution of the Tohidi sisters' prison sentence comes while, according to the newspaper Shargh, the execution notification for these two journalists had not been registered in the Sana system, belonging to the judiciary, and had not been communicated to their lawyers either. Now, a few days after the execution of the sentences for these two political activists, all the mentioned claims have been deemed 'false,' and the criticisms raised have been described as 'news' that serves as 'content production' for 'hostile media.' Previously, Reza Moieni had described the arrest of 100 journalists in recent months as unprecedented.