Sadeghah Voseghi, Critic Religious Scholar, Arrested

Sadeghah Voseghi, a critic religious scholar and political activist, was arrested at her home on Saturday, March 17. Her husband told the 'Emtidad' website that four agents entered their apartment on Saturday morning, threatening to break down the door, and besides arresting Ms. Voseghi, they confiscated her mobile phone and laptop. According to Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh, the arresting officers, who identified themselves as from the 'Law Enforcement and Evin,' stated in front of him that 'we have an order to arrest your wife.' One of the officers also promised Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh that his wife would contact the family to inform them about her situation. No information has been provided regarding the charges, the arresting agency, or the location where this political activist is being held. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Sadeghah Voseghi's lawyer, mentioned in an interview with ILNA news agency that there is a definitive one-year prison sentence for his client, who had previously been summoned. According to this lawyer, Ms. Voseghi had reacted to her summons by saying, 'I will not go until they tell me what my charge is.' Sadeghah Voseghi, who was a member of the first Tehran City Council, removed her hijab following nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody last year. Along with several Iranian political activists, she issued a statement in December criticizing mandatory hijab as a pretext 'for disrespecting and degrading Iranian women and violating their rights,' calling for 'an end to oppressive policies against women in various personal and social areas.' This critical Islamic scholar also participated in the virtual meeting 'Dialogue for the Rescue of Iran' held in May this year by a group of political activists inside and outside Iran.