Nearly 100 Years of Imprisonment and Other Punishments for Eleven Constitutional Activists

The Hengaw Human Rights Organization announced that the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has sentenced eleven constitutional activists to a total of 95 years and 8 months in prison, along with fines, restrictions on residency in Tehran and neighboring provinces, and confiscation of mobile phones and internet modems. According to Hengaw's report on Tuesday, January 8, among these political activists, Arsham Rezaei received 15 years in prison for four charges, Vahid Sarkhgol was sentenced to a total of 16 years for three charges, Kazem Ali-Nejad Baranlu received 11 years for three charges, and Meysam Gholami and Vahid Ghadirzadeh were sentenced to 6 years each. Ali Asghar Hosseini-Rad was sentenced to 8 years and 15 lashes, while Saman Rezaei received 5 years in prison. Fatemeh Haqparast Soheh was sentenced to 8 months in prison, Payam Bastani to 16 years, Mohammad Reza Kamrani-Nejad to 6 years, and Hojjatollah Rafei to 6 years in prison. The charges against these constitutional activists include 'conspiracy and collusion to commit crimes against internal and external security', 'propaganda against the regime', 'insulting' Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini, the current and former leaders of the Islamic Republic, and 'encouraging people to commit crimes against internal and external security'. Some of these political activists had previously been arrested for their activities and were transferred to Evin and Greater Tehran prisons by government forces this autumn. The court hearing for these eleven political and civil activists took place on December 26 in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran. Previously, on August 16, 2023, an informed source had reported to the Persian section of Voice of America that a joint case had been opened by the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC against six of these constitutional activists in Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor's Office, with charges of 'conspiracy and collusion' and 'propaganda against the regime'. Khalid Pirzadeh was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison; an informed source stated that he is still using 'anti-seizure pills'. More than 45 years of imprisonment for three political activists confirmed in the appeals court; an informed source stated that they have committed no crime. The trial of eleven political and civil activists with charges of 'conspiracy and collusion' and 'insulting' Khamenei and Khomeini. Zahra Sarv, a political prisoner, ended her hunger strike. Prince Reza Pahlavi's request to Zahra Sarv: End your hunger strike. An indictment was issued for Khalid Pirzadeh; an informed source stated that he will likely be tried next week.