Request to Seize Assets of Political Prisoner's Family in Favor of 'Imam's Executive Headquarters'

The lawyer of Maryam Akbari Monfared, a political prisoner and member of the families of the victims, states that the 'Follow-up and Supervision Headquarters of Article 49 of the Constitution' has filed a new case against her, requesting that her family's assets be seized for the benefit of the 'Imam's Executive Headquarters.' Hossein Taj, a lawyer, announced on Sunday, May 24, that a hearing date for this case has been set for August. He noted that claims made by this headquarters have attributed certain matters to the family of Ms. Akbari Monfared and her relatives. Mr. Taj referred to the legal principle of 'personal responsibility for crimes and punishments,' stating that 'punishment should only be applied to the individual and not include their relatives.' According to Article 49 of the Constitution, the government is obliged to confiscate assets obtained from 'illicit matters' and 'return them to the rightful owner or, if unknown, to the public treasury.' Maryam Akbari Monfared, a victim's advocate and political prisoner, has been sentenced to an additional two years in prison. Iranian security and judicial authorities have repeatedly seized the assets of political and ideological prisoners and their families, citing this principle. The 'Imam's Executive Headquarters' is one of the institutions that has confiscated many assets from political and ideological prisoners since the inception of the Islamic Republic. Maryam Akbari Monfared, who comes from a family of victims of the 1980s mass executions, was arrested at her home two days after protests on Ashura in December 2009 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court on charges of 'waging war and acting against national security.' Her main charge was alleged support for the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, although her husband previously stated that her only connection to the organization was a few phone calls with her siblings in 'Camp Ashraf' in Iraq. Her 15-year sentence will end in October this year, but this political prisoner was sentenced to an additional two years in prison last September for 'propaganda against the regime.' Last year, dozens of women's rights activists issued a statement calling for the cessation of 'case-making' against this exiled political prisoner and her immediate release. These activists described the purpose of the 'case-making' against Ms. Akbari Monfared as 'torture' for her and her family, emphasizing that 'the judiciary cannot stop advocacy through case-making and endless imprisonment.'