Mother of Ghoncheh Ghavami: My Daughter's Lawyer Has Resigned

The mother of Ghoncheh Ghavami stated that her daughter's lawyer resigned on Monday, November 26, while the Ghavami family had been unaware of their lawyer's situation for several days. She also denied the accusations against Ghoncheh Ghavami, including alleged connections with foreign media. Sousan Moshtaqian, who spoke with Radio Farda, mentioned that Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Ghoncheh Ghavami's lawyer, resigned after several days of silence, and they have not yet hired a new lawyer. She added, 'Mr. Alizadeh Tabatabai made false statements in recent days that surprised us, and we did not know the reason behind them. For example, he said that the interrogations were prolonged due to Ramadan and my daughter's fasting, while the interrogations have nothing to do with Ramadan.' Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai had previously stated that media campaigns had harmed Ghoncheh Ghavami significantly, emphasizing that 'Ghoncheh Ghavami has committed offenses that the prosecutor considers crimes.' Meanwhile, the Tehran prosecutor's office on Tuesday rejected any connection between Ghoncheh Ghavami's case and the issue of preventing women from entering the volleyball stadium, attributing new accusations to her. Ghoncheh Ghavami intended to attend the World Volleyball Championships at Azadi Stadium on June 30 but was ultimately arrested for protesting against the ban on women's entry to the stadium. This incident sparked global reactions, leading the president of the Iranian Volleyball Federation to state that Ghoncheh Ghavami's arrest was one of the reasons for canceling Iran's hosting of the World Youth Volleyball Championships. However, the Tehran prosecutor's announcement accused Ms. Ghavami of 'connections with opposition groups abroad and satellite networks, participating in anti-regime gatherings, and filming the police station where she was detained.' Sousan Moshtaqian denied these accusations, stating to Radio Farda, 'My daughter was arrested due to the volleyball issue, and most of her interrogations were related to this matter. Even her interrogator, during a meeting with me and Ghoncheh's father, asked us to name those who were accomplices of our daughter and where the campaign for women's entry to the stadium to watch volleyball originated.' She also addressed the accusation of connections with foreign media, stating, 'My daughter has no relationship with these media. When she was a student, she published a research article about the unjust economic sanctions, stating that these sanctions have put a lot of pressure on Iranian women. They tell us that this article is a document of black propaganda, while this document is my daughter's pride because she defended her country.' Previously, the Deputy Cultural Prosecutor had labeled Ghoncheh Ghavami's accusations as 'propaganda against the regime and some interactions with anti-revolutionary elements.' Meanwhile, Ghoncheh Ghavami's mother stated that the Tehran prosecutor's office issued a dismissal order for one of her charges, which is 'gathering and conspiracy.' Sousan Moshtaqian also mentioned that the Tehran prosecutor has addressed the family's complaint regarding 'violations in Ghoncheh Ghavami's case,' resulting in the detention of the 'violator.' However, she refrained from providing details on this matter. In this context, Ghoncheh Ghavami's lawyer stated that her sentence is one year in prison, but it has not yet been communicated. Concerns have been raised by Britain regarding the issuance of a one-year prison sentence for Ghoncheh Ghavami. The Asian Olympic Committee has requested explanations from Iran regarding Ghoncheh Ghavami. It is now the fifth day of Ghoncheh Ghavami's dry hunger strike. A European Parliament representative told Ghoncheh Ghavami: 'Stay strong. You are not alone.' The International Volleyball Federation stated that Iran does not have the right to host. The spokesperson for the judiciary stated that no sentence has yet been issued for Ghoncheh Ghavami.