Sepideh Gholian from Prison: I Have Been Sentenced to 'Exile' by the Ministry of Intelligence, My Family's Life is in Danger

Sepideh Gholian, a civil activist and political prisoner, stated in a letter from Evin Prison in Tehran, "I have been sentenced to exile by the Ministry of Intelligence for five years." In this letter, which the human rights organization "Hangaw" published on Friday, December 15, Gholian referred to years of exile and said, "Over these years, I have done everything to lift this sentence; writing letters, negotiating, disputing, sit-ins, and hunger strikes." Gholian further added, "I have said that the life and livelihood of my family is in danger; traveling thousands of kilometers every week is a hardship. But every time the process of exile continues, it has become clear to me that the statement of the prison representative in Bushehr was correct: your corpse will return to Khuzestan." According to this civil activist and political prisoner, "In this place of suffering where our nation breathes death, talking about the suffering of exile for me and my family may be pointless. My exile is nothing compared to the fact that the Islamic Republic can butcher a 16-year-old child in broad daylight." At the end of her letter, she noted, "I recorded this letter to say that if these kilometers ever become the murderer of my family, let us remember that apart from negotiating and disputing with the irresponsible officials of the Islamic Republic and holding sit-ins, hunger strikes, and writing letters to them, I have also told the people: I, Sepideh Gholian, have been sentenced to exile by the Ministry of Intelligence for five years!" On Saturday, September 2, in response to the issuance of another 15-month prison sentence for her, Gholian said: "It was worth it. I sacrifice myself for my nation." Gholian, who was sentenced to two years in prison for chanting "Khamenei is a tyrant, we will bury you underground" last year, is currently in prison. Despite being imprisoned, this civil activist continues her civil and human rights activities by sending letters and signing statements. Previously, the Office of Human Rights and Democracy of the U.S. Department of State called for the immediate release of Sepideh Gholian, a human rights defender imprisoned in Iran.