Lawyer of Imam-Vardi's Plaintiffs: Several Individuals Withdrew Their Complaints Against Execution

The lawyer representing several plaintiffs against Keyvan Imam-Vardi, accused of raping dozens of young women, stated that some complainants refrained from pursuing their cases upon realizing that a death sentence might be issued against Mr. Imam-Vardi. Shima Qosheh, a lawyer, said in an interview with the Etemad newspaper on Saturday, December 1, that 'despite having been abused and experiencing severe traumas over the years, these individuals were not in favor of the death penalty.' Keyvan Imam-Vardi was arrested in early September 2020 following revelations from dozens of women on Twitter and Instagram. According to the plaintiffs, he raped his victims after administering alcoholic drinks containing sedatives. Mr. Imam-Vardi was sentenced to death in July 2022 for 'corruption on earth,' but this ruling was overturned by the 32nd branch of the Administrative Justice Court, and he was acquitted of the charge of 'corruption on earth.' On December 15 of this year, he was released from prison on a bail of 20 billion tomans. Imam-Vardi's lawyer also emphasized that due to the 'limited number of private plaintiffs,' the case was transferred from the Revolutionary Court to the Tehran Criminal Court. However, Ms. Qosheh stated that after the case was referred to a parallel branch in the Revolutionary Court, a ruling of acquittal was issued without a hearing, and the arrest order was converted to bail. She mentioned the discovery of videos from Mr. Imam-Vardi's home and said they are awaiting a response from security police regarding the videos, and since the request for a travel ban was rejected by the court, they hope Keyvan Imam-Vardi will not flee. This lawyer criticized the 'victim-blaming' perspective of judges in this case, hoping that judges would not equate 'consent to a dinner invitation with consent to sexual relations.' The case indicated that the accused had raped '300 girls over ten years,' but according to a report by the Hamshahri newspaper, Keyvan Imam-Vardi admitted to having sexual relations with about 50 girls during the investigations. Nonetheless, according to Ms. Qosheh, only 9 individuals have filed complaints against Mr. Imam-Vardi in this regard. In June 2022, as the end of this individual's temporary detention approached, the plaintiffs warned that he could pose a 'danger' to other women after his release. The plaintiffs explicitly stated: 'The freedom of this individual is dangerous for all of us, and his presence could create insecurity for all women and society, especially for us; even thinking about breathing in a city where Keyvan Imam-Vardi is free is terrifying.' The release of Keyvan Imam-Vardi has faced negative reactions from many civil activists; some have pointed to the lack of specific laws in the Islamic Republic regarding rape, while others have noted that while this individual has been released on charges of raping dozens of women, many civil and political activists remain imprisoned.