Poor Physical Condition of Vida Rabani in Evin; Authorities Refuse to Transfer Her to Hospital

Human rights organizations report that Vida Rabani, a freelance journalist who has been in prison since October of last year, is being denied transfer to a hospital and medical care despite her poor physical condition. According to a report by HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Thursday, May 18, a close associate of the journalist stated: 'Ms. Rabani, despite her deteriorating health and the prison medical staff's recommendation for a CT scan and specialized medical attention, is facing opposition from prison authorities.' This source also informed HRANA that Rabani's recent case, opened in relation to nationwide protests, is subject to an 'amnesty directive,' but this directive has not been implemented due to the objections of the 'case officer.' Vida Rabani has previously collaborated with the newspaper Shargh and the weekly Seda. She was arrested on October 24, 2022, during nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in custody of the morality police, and her court session was held on December 20. On January 1, her lawyer, Ali Mojtahedzadeh, announced that she had been sentenced to six years in prison for the charge of 'collusion and conspiracy against national security' and an additional fifteen months for 'propaganda against the regime.' In July 2022, Rabani had also been sentenced to five years in prison. Her charges include 'insulting sacred beliefs, disturbing public order, inciting violent behavior, and collusion and conspiracy to commit crimes against national security.' Fatemeh Mohajeri, Vida Rabani's mother, wrote a letter to the head of the judiciary on January 27, 2023, referring to the sentence of 'three years of imprisonment and two years of suspended imprisonment' for her daughter's first case, stating that the judge considered the publication of a poem by an Afghan poet that 'compares a kiss to prayer' as 'insulting sacred beliefs' and issued a ruling against Vida. The International Federation of Journalists has called for the release of 15 imprisoned journalists in Iran. The insistence of Iranian officials on repeating falsehoods has drawn reactions from imprisoned journalists. Vida Rabani has been arrested for the second time in a year in Iran.