Sediqe Vosoughi Refuses to Attend Revolutionary Court: Defense in This 'Injustice Court' Is Meaningless

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has issued an indictment against Sediqe Vosoughi, a religious scholar and university professor imprisoned in Evin, and has set a court date for her; however, Ms. Vosoughi has announced that she will not attend this 'injustice court.' According to the Instagram page attributed to Sediqe Vosoughi, her indictment was issued with charges of 'propaganda against the regime in cyberspace' and 'appearing in public places without proper hijab,' and it was communicated to her in the women's section of Evin prison. According to this report, Ms. Vosoughi has rejected this notification, stating: 'The Revolutionary Court is not legal, and defense in this injustice court is meaningless. I will not attend and do not want to face these unjust judges.' According to the Telegram channel Khabar, Vosoughi's summons to court comes amid reports of her deteriorating health; her heart rate has risen above 120 and her blood pressure has exceeded 16, but because she refused to accept the mandatory hijab for transfer to a clinic, prison officials have not even sent her to the prison's medical facility. Sediqe Vosoughi, a religious scholar and political activist critical of the government, was arrested at her home on Saturday, March 17. Her husband told the 'Emtidad' website that four agents entered their apartment, threatening to break down the door, and besides arresting Ms. Vosoughi, they confiscated her mobile phone and laptop. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Sediqe Vosoughi's lawyer, stated in an interview with ILNA news agency that his client had previously been summoned and that there is a definitive one-year prison sentence for her. Sediqe Vosoughi, who was a member of the first Tehran City Council, removed her hijab following nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Guidance Patrol. Along with several political activists in December 2023, she issued a statement criticizing the mandatory hijab as a pretext 'for the humiliation and degradation of Iranian women and the violation of their rights,' calling for 'an end to oppressive policies against women in various personal and social domains.' Mostafa Daneshgar: Sediqe Vosoughi believed that mandatory hijab is against justice, humanity, and Islam. Sediqe Vosoughi, a critical religious scholar, was arrested. Sediqe Vosoughi was summoned to the prosecutor's office; Maryam Sadat Yahyavi headed to Evin prison. Nine prominent Iranian political activists condemned mandatory hijab and discrimination against women in Iran. Sediqe Vosoughi: I protest against the numerous injustices faced by my Baha'i compatriots.