Summoning of Sheyma Qosheh to the Moral Security Court; Seizure of Electronic Devices from Mohammad Hossein Hemmatpour

In the latest instances of pressure on civil and human rights activists in Iran, reports indicate the summoning of Sheyma Qosheh, a lawyer, to the Moral Security Court, and the seizure of electronic devices belonging to Mohammad Hossein Hemmatpour, a former political prisoner, and his wife by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. Unofficial news sources have reported that on Wednesday morning, June 7, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence searched the home of Mohammad Hossein Hemmatpour, seizing his and his wife's mobile phones and laptops. Mohammad Noori, a student activist, tweeted that Hemmatpour had visited Branch 5 of the Evin Court last week, but officials expressed ignorance about the status of his case. The search of Hemmatpour's home occurred after he had tweeted last week: "Since my release, I have been summoned twice by [the Ministry of] Intelligence, and both times I did not attend due to the illegality of the 'telephone summons.' The last time, the interrogator said, 'Now that you are not coming, I will come to your house!' Today, I found out that without a summons being issued, it was noted in the Thana system that the defendant was absent!" Before his previous arrest in November 2022, Hemmatpour had stated in a video message that "freedom is the lost thing for all of us Iranians" and that "our voice will not be erased." In another event, the Moral Security Court has summoned Sheyma Qosheh for June 13 at 7 AM. The summons states that "the crimes against you are based on the presence of women in public spaces without proper hijab." Sheyma Qosheh tweeted an image of the summons, stating: "I still do not know what evidence exists against me that I disrupted moral security and need to be guided." Pressure on civil activists in Iran continues, while resistance and civil disobedience among citizens are also ongoing. In recent days, Hamideh Zeraei, a constitutionalist political activist, was arrested. In a video message recorded before her arrest and later provided to VOA, she reported contact from the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence agents.