Summoning Two Lawyers to Appeals Court for 'Obtaining Commitment'; Seyfizadeh: Revolutionary Court is Illegal

Branch 36 of the Appeals Court summoned Mohammad Seyfizadeh and Marzieh Nik-Ara, two human rights defenders, for 'providing explanations' and 'obtaining commitment'. Seyfizadeh states that the one-year prison sentence is related to a letter from lawyers to the UN Secretary-General regarding events 'after the murder of Mahsa Amini'. According to documents obtained by the Persian section of Voice of America on Sunday, July 4, the case of Mohammad Seyfizadeh and Marzieh Nik-Ara, which was held in a lower court without the presence of these two human rights lawyers, was sent to the Appeals Court last week on June 27. Based on an electronic notification accessed by Voice of America, these two human rights defenders have 10 days from the date of notification in the system to appear for 'providing explanations' in the Appeals Branch. The notification, signed by Mohammad Reza Borji, head of the Appeals Court office, states, 'Considering your conviction from the attributed charge, you must personally appear in this court within a maximum of one week to obtain a commitment (expression of remorse and commitment not to repeat similar intentional crime) and utilize the pardon of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, otherwise necessary decisions will be made.' According to an audio file obtained by Voice of America, Mohammad Seyfizadeh states that the one-year prison sentence in this case is 'related to the letter from lawyers to the UN Secretary-General' regarding the nationwide protests 'after the murder of Mahsa Amini' and 'due to the illegality of the Revolutionary Courts and the incorrect nature of the charges, I did not participate in these proceedings.' A letter signed by 45 lawyers and human rights activists emphasized to Antonio Guterres that seeking justice is the right of all people in Iran. Additionally, see: Activists urge the UN Secretary-General to respond to 'extrajudicial executions' in Iran. These two lawyers were previously sentenced to one year of imprisonment each in Branch 29 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran for 'propaganda against the regime' and 'spreading falsehoods'. Mohammad Seyfizadeh stated in an audio file that he did not attend the court session because he considers the Revolutionary Courts illegal. This prominent lawyer emphasized that 'due to the charges of spreading falsehoods and propaganda against the regime, for formal and substantive reasons, including the illegality of the Revolutionary Courts and the lack of conformity of the act committed, which was seeking justice, with the attributed charge, I did not attend the court because I consider them illegal.'