Prison and Whipping Sentences Issued for Tourist Couple; 'Keeping a Cat' Among the Charges

A tourist couple in Isfahan province has been sentenced to three years in prison on charges including 'keeping a cat.' The couple's case initially began with the woman driving without mandatory hijab, and their lawyer told Shargh newspaper that they are 'on the verge of entering prison.' According to the report from Shargh, citing the couple's defense lawyer, after police officers visited their home in the village of Misr, when the couple asked the officers for identification and permission, this request led to a 'discussion with the officers,' and after 'complaining about the officers' actions to the judicial authority,' they were sentenced to imprisonment and fines on charges including 'keeping a cat.' Milad Panahipour, the defense attorney, stated that on October 4, 2023, police officers went to the workplace of Niloufar Ghazaleh and her husband Mohammad Ali Moqimi, which is a recreational residence, and discussions arose over entry permission and identification cards. The next day, the couple presented a petition signed by local residents criticizing the police's actions to the head of the judiciary in Khor County, which led to a case being opened against them for 'defamation,' resulting in a sentence, punishment, and the closure of their workplace. According to Mr. Panahipour, Niloufar Ghazaleh was sentenced to five charges: 'insulting a police officer to 74 lashes, insulting a conscript with a fine of 240 million rials, threatening officers to 74 lashes, disturbing public order to one year in prison and 74 lashes, and spreading falsehoods to two years in prison.' Additionally, Mohammad Ali Moqimi was sentenced to two years in prison for 'illegal unsealing,' one year in prison for 'threatening public health by keeping a cat,' one year in prison and 74 lashes for 'disturbing public order,' and a fine of 240 million rials for 'defamation.' Meanwhile, according to the lawyer, 'at the time of sealing, in the presence of witnesses, it was clearly stated that the seals were loose and could tear,' yet officials accused him of 'unsealing' a residence that does not belong to him. The report indicates that Milad Panahipour, the couple's defense attorney, considers their case to have 'fundamental contradictions' and explained that the first case began on May 20, 2023, when police officers stopped Niloufar Ghazaleh while driving due to the hijab issue and reported 'driving completely naked,' prompting officials to issue an order for 'unveiling in the vehicle and an order for covert investigation into her moral and social status.' Intelligence officials in Khor County introduced Ms. Ghazaleh as 'lacking a good reputation' in their report, claiming that she 'uploads obscene images of herself on social media,' leading to a case being opened against her with three charges: 'unveiling through image publication in cyberspace, inviting individuals to commit immoral crimes through the publication of obscene films and images on Instagram, and providing grounds for corruption and prostitution through the publication of obscene images on Instagram.' This defense attorney stated that the primary court imposed a punishment of 'fines, totaling about six years and two months of imprisonment, preparing 100 black women's chadors for families under the coverage of social welfare, and publishing the will of 10 martyrs regarding the importance of hijab on Instagram.' According to this report, the appeals court reduced this sentence to 91 days of imprisonment, but two days later, while the ruling had not yet been executed, Niloufar Ghazaleh was arrested at her home, and officials confiscated her and her parents' mobile phones. According to Mr. Panahipour, with the intervention of the prosecutor of Isfahan province, his client was granted leave connected to her release after nine days of imprisonment, but immediately after this period ended, 'the judge of Khor County opened a second case' against her with charges including 'keeping a cat.' The efforts to impose the Islamic Republic's policies on the personal lives of citizens and interfere in their lifestyles have repeatedly caused trouble and even claimed victims. Meanwhile, civil disobedience against laws restricting individual and social rights, including the mandatory hijab envisioned by the Islamic Republic, continues despite increasing governmental pressures.