Member of Parliament: Five Years in Prison for Teen Protester Who Lowered the Flag

The Vice President of the Judicial Commission of the Iranian Parliament says he met with a 15-year-old boy in Hamadan who was sentenced to five years in prison for lowering the flag of the Islamic Republic during protests. Mohammad Kazemi, a representative from Malayer in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated on February 18 to 'Etemad Online' that during his visit to detainees, he spoke with the 15-year-old who had lowered the flag in one of the squares in Malayer. Kazemi mentioned that the boy's sentence was determined in the primary court and 'his case has been sent to the appellate authority following his objection.' Previously, several Iranian officials confirmed the detention of 'students' during the protests, and the Deputy Minister of Interior for Security and Police stated that 'over 90 percent' of those arrested during the recent nationwide protests are 'young and adolescent.' In another part of his conversation with Etemad, Kazemi quoted the Director General of Prisons and Security Measures in Hamadan Province, stating that the number of detainees in the protests in Hamadan is 'approximately 40.' He indicated that the detainees are residents of 'Hamadan, Nahavand, Asadabad, and Toyserkan.' No independent source has confirmed or denied the number of detainees. Previously, the 'Human Rights Campaign in Iran' had reported that in several provinces, including Hamadan, many detainees have been charged with 'moharebeh' (waging war against God) and 'efsad fil arz' (corruption on earth), charges that could lead to the death penalty if confirmed by the court. This campaign reported, citing 'an informed source' without specifying the exact number of detained citizens, that 'many' of those detained during the protests in January, who are held in quarantine in Hamadan Central Prison, have been charged with 'efsad fil arz' and 'moharebeh.' Kazemi told Etemad that 'the detainees are requesting the acceptance of the bail issued by the judicial authority and the conversion of their detention to lighter bail and a speeding up of the handling of their situation.' The initial protests against economic conditions quickly spread to dozens of cities across Iran and took on a political nature. During the protests, slogans were shouted against the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, senior officials, and governmental institutions, in support of the Pahlavi kings or against Iran's presence in regional countries. At least 25 people were killed during the January protests in various cities of Iran, and hundreds were arrested. Some detainees also lost their lives while in prison, a matter that has faced widespread reactions, and international human rights organizations have called for independent investigations into these cases. According to reports from Etemad and Radio Farda, the Tehran prosecutor announced the issuance of 150 indictments for 'defendants' of the January protests. A visiting representative from Evin stated that there is no footage of the suicide of Sina Ghanbari. A member of parliament confirmed the suicide of two protesters in prison. A lawyer investigating the death of a protester was charged with 'nine counts.'