Mohseni Ejei: Mahmoud Beheshti Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for 'Security Crime'

The spokesperson for Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, stated that the reason for the arrest of Sasan Aghaei and Yaghma Fashkhami, two imprisoned journalists, was 'security charges' and announced that Mahmoud Beheshti, the spokesperson for the Teachers' Trade Association of Tehran, has also been sentenced to five years in prison for 'security crime.' According to the IRNA news agency, Mohseni Ejei, during a press conference on Sunday, September 17, claimed in response to a question about Beheshti's arrest that individuals in Iran are not 'arrested for their professional or religious activities.' He added, 'For example, to say that someone was arrested for being Bahá'í, a journalist, or a teacher is incorrect; ... individuals are not arrested for a specific profession or religion.' Mohseni Ejei's remarks come despite the fact that hundreds of Bahá'ís have been imprisoned and some executed since the 1979 revolution in Iran. In recent years, several Bahá'ís, Christian converts, Jews, and Zoroastrians have also been arrested in Iran. The judiciary spokesperson also announced that Mahmoud Beheshti has been sentenced to five years in prison for 'security crime' and that this ruling is final. Despite the passage of the 'Political Crime Law' in Iran, officials of the Islamic Republic continue to use the term 'security charges' regarding the accusations against political activists, journalists, and imprisoned labor activists. Mahmoud Beheshti, the spokesperson for the Teachers' Trade Association, was arrested at his home on Tuesday, September 12. Prosecutors had contacted Beheshti by phone on Monday, September 4, asking him to present himself to the prosecutor's office, but he described his sentence as 'illegal' and stated that he would not return to prison. The Teachers' Trade Association of Tehran protested Beheshti's arrest and called for the 'unconditional' release of all teachers 'in prison, exiled, and under sentence.' This association has also demanded the release of Ismail Abdi and Mohsen Omrani and the cancellation of the exile sentence of Ali Akbar Baghaei. In their statement, the association emphasized that 'despite the promises made and contrary to the explicit text of the Constitution, the security culture has affected all activities of labor activists contrary to the promises of the President.' The judiciary spokesperson also mentioned the arrests of Sasan Aghaei and Yaghma Fashkhami, stating that the charges against these two journalists are 'security-related' and 'this case is under investigation in the prosecutor's office.' Sasan Aghaei, the deputy editor of the Etemad newspaper, was arrested on August 12 and has been held in solitary confinement in Ward 241 of Evin Prison, which belongs to the judiciary's intelligence protection. Yaghma Fashkhami, another imprisoned journalist, was arrested on the evening of August 21. Human Rights Watch has called on Iranian officials to 'immediately release or conduct a fair trial for Sasan Aghaei and Yaghma Fashkhami.' According to this organization, the judiciary and security agencies have kept these two journalists in detention 'without clear charges.' Nevertheless, the second branch of the media prosecutor's office extended Sasan Aghaei's temporary detention for another month on Tuesday, September 21. Reza Moieni, head of the Iran desk at Reporters Without Borders, believes that these arrests indicate the beginning of a new wave of repression against journalists in Iran. The continued detention of journalists in Iran occurs while some imprisoned journalists have lost their health during their imprisonment in recent years. Alireza Rajai, a journalist and national-religious activist, lost his right eye and part of the muscle and bones on the right side of his face after surgery. The International Federation of Journalists has called the neglect of Alireza Rajai's treatment in prison 'unacceptable and a severe violation of human rights' and has urged the Islamic Republic to take responsibility for the incident involving this journalist and to ensure the treatment of other imprisoned journalists, including Ehsan Mazandarani. Malihe Hosseini, the wife of Ehsan Mazandarani, tweeted about her husband's condition, stating that 'his stomach accepts nothing but water, and the prosecutor does not even allow him medical leave.' Ehsan Mazandarani, an imprisoned journalist, has previously gone on hunger strikes several times in protest against issues such as illegal detention and mistreatment by prison officials. Eisa Saharkhiz and Afrin Chitsaz, who were arrested in November 2015 along with Ehsan Mazandarani, remain imprisoned. Meanwhile, according to the website of the Human Rights Defenders Association, Afrin Chitsaz, a jailed journalist, has been on hunger strike since September 3 in protest against the prevention of her release on the date announced by the judiciary. According to this report, the prosecutor's office did not consider the time Afrin Chitsaz spent in the hospital as part of her prison time. In this context, Sasan Aghaei's detention has been 'extended for another month.'