Reporters Without Borders Condemns Sentences of Imprisonment and Flogging for Colleagues of the 'Majzooban Noor' Website

Reporters Without Borders condemned the "heavy sentences of imprisonment and flogging, as well as social and media deprivation" for colleagues of the 'Majzooban Noor' website, which publishes news related to Gonabadi dervishes. According to the organization's website, Saleh al-Din Moradi and Reza Entesari, managers of Majzooban Noor, and Sina Entesari, a citizen-journalist, have each been sentenced to seven years in prison, while Kasra Noori, another site manager, and Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, a citizen-journalist, have each received 12 years in prison. Mostafa Abdi, another manager of Majzooban Noor, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison and 148 lashes. In addition, he has been sentenced to two years of exile to Sistan and Baluchestan, two years of travel ban, and two years of deprivation from membership in political and social parties and media activities. Previously, Reza Entesari, Kasra Noori, Sina Entesari, Saleh al-Din Moradi, and Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam had announced in an open letter from Tehran's Great Prison in July that they would not attend the court until a public trial with fair conditions was held. According to Reporters Without Borders, each of these media activists has also been sentenced to flogging, deprivation of social activities and virtual networks, and a travel ban. This group was arrested on the first of Esfand in Tehran following a protest gathering of Gonabadi dervishes on the 30th of Bahman last year around the house of Nour Ali Tabandeh, the leader of this order, which turned violent due to the intervention of security forces and motorcycle-clad plainclothes agents. After that, hundreds of Gonabadi dervishes were arrested, most of whom remain detained and are awaiting trial or confirmation of their sentences. Reporters Without Borders noted that, according to its information, journalists and citizen-journalists of Majzooban Noor were severely tortured during interrogation by police and security agents at Shapur Intelligence and Ward 209 of Evin Prison. Typically, Iranian officials deny the use of torture in prisons. Nevertheless, human rights organizations have repeatedly published reports of torture and mistreatment of prisoners. Previously, reports had been published regarding judicial actions against colleagues of the Majzooban Noor website. For instance, according to Reporters Without Borders, Avisha Jalal al-Din, Shima Entesari, and Sepideh Moradi were each sentenced to five years in prison in July on charges of "gathering and conspiring against national security" by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. They are currently imprisoned in Qarchak Prison. Reza Moieni, head of the Afghanistan and Iran office of Reporters Without Borders, stated regarding the actions against the managers and citizen-journalists of Majzooban Noor: "These sentences are not judicial actions. They are revenge by the judiciary against independent information dissemination." Mr. Moieni pointed out that since "the beginning of popular protests in December 2017, the Tehran regime has focused on suppressing information activists" and added: "We urge Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, to take urgent action regarding the deplorable conditions of imprisoned journalists in Iran who have been arbitrarily detained and sentenced in unfair trials." The head of the Afghanistan and Iran office of Reporters Without Borders also called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to adhere to global commitments regarding human rights. The Islamic Republic of Iran ranks 164th out of 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.