Sentences of '60 Years in Prison' for Women's Rights Activists in Gilan 'Confirmed Without a Court Hearing'

Human rights and women's rights media in Iran reported the confirmation of sentences totaling 'over 60 years in prison' for women's rights activists and political activists in Gilan by the appeals court. Ramin Zafarnia, a lawyer and one of the defenders of these activists, stated in an interview with Shargh Network that Judge Mohammad-Sadegh Iran-Eghideh, the presiding judge of the appeals branch, confirmed the initial court ruling on Tuesday, June 8. He noted that the appeals submitted by the lawyers were not considered in the ruling, and no hearing date was set by the appeals branch. Eleven women's rights activists in Gilan were sentenced to 'over 60 years in prison.' One of these activists described the judicial process of their case by Judge Mohammad-Sadegh Iran-Eghideh, stating: 'Our case was referred to Branch 11 of the appeals court on April 12, the documents were sent to him on the 13th, and a ruling was issued on the 17th, confirming the previous ruling, all within four days.' She further questioned how the judge could read 18 volumes of the case in just four days, especially when one of those days was a Friday, and how he did not wish to meet them even once or hear the lawyers' arguments, which raised 13 objections to the ruling. This women's rights activist concluded by asking, 'Shouldn't we be concerned about cases that are in the hands of someone whose closest colleagues do not speak well of him and many consider him worse than Judge Salavati?' The Instagram account 'Bidar Zani' reported that the sentences of those detained in August 2023 in Gilan were confirmed on June 8 in Branch 11 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht under the presidency of Judge Mohammad-Sadegh Iran-Eghideh, 'without a court hearing.' Mustafa Nili, the lawyer for Forough Sami-Nia and Jaleh Javaheri, stated in an interview with Shargh Network in early Farvardin (March) that the court hearing for these women's rights activists was held in Esfand (February), and a total of 'over 60 years in prison' sentences were issued against them. According to these sentences, Zahra Dadras was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison; specifically, for 'forming a group with the aim of undermining national security,' she received six years and one day of imprisonment, and for 'conspiracy and collusion,' she received three years and six months and one day of imprisonment. Forough Sami-Nia, Sara Jahani, Yasmin Hashedari, Shiva Shah-Siah, Negin Rezaei, Matin Yazdani, Azadeh Chavoshian, and Zahra Dadras were each sentenced to six years, three months, and 17 days in prison; for 'conspiracy and collusion,' they received three years and six months and one day of imprisonment, and for 'membership in a group' aimed at undermining national security, they received two years, seven months, and 16 days of imprisonment. According to this report, Jaleh Javaheri and Houman Taheri were also sentenced to one year in prison for 'propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' An independent source close to these women activists told Kianoush Farid from Radio Farda that 'during the ongoing movement of 'Women, Life, Freedom,' the security institutions of the Islamic Republic have confronted every formation, but it seems that there is more sensitivity towards independent women's groups, and they try to suppress them as much as possible, which they have somewhat succeeded in, but on the other hand, resistance continues. In the streets of Rasht, despite all these confrontations, you can see posters of active women.' According to this independent source, given the current conditions in Iran, especially economic problems, the government targets an independent group that it knows can be influential or mobilize forces. Radio Farda, in following up on the manner of arrest and treatment of these women's rights activists in Gilan province, obtained information indicating the severity of the security and judicial forces' actions against these women. Security agents of the Islamic Republic arrested twelve women’s rights activists and civil activists residing in Gilan province in the cities of Rasht, Fuman, Anzali, and Lahijan on August 25 and 26, 2022. Azizollah Maleki, the police chief of Gilan province, at that time accused these activists of 'acting against national security.' He also claimed that 'tools and instruments of crime for propaganda against the regime' and 'communication devices with hostile networks' were seized from the arrested activists, but he provided no explanation regarding these 'propaganda tools against the regime.' Sources close to the mentioned activists had previously told Radio Farda that the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic pressured these activists to 'fabricate cases.' A source who wished to remain anonymous told Radio Farda that some of the detainees were 'under heavy interrogation pressure and torture.' However, after nearly two months, all these activists were temporarily released from Lakan Prison in Rasht at different times upon posting bail.