Transfer of Maryam Akbari Monfared, political prisoner, to Qarchak Varamin Prison for an additional two years of imprisonment

Athena Daemi, a human rights activist, reported the transfer of Maryam Akbari Monfared, a political prisoner, from Semnan Prison to Qarchak Varamin to serve an additional two years of imprisonment after enduring 15 years without leave. In her post on social media platform 'X', Athena Daemi wrote: 'Zeynab Jalalian with 17 years of imprisonment and Maryam Akbari Monfared with 15 years of imprisonment without leave are the oldest female political prisoners in the history of Iran.' Previously, Hossein Taj, Maryam Akbari Monfared's lawyer, stated that the Iranian authorities opened a new case against this political prisoner a few months before the end of her sentence. According to the lawyer, during this time, she has not been granted a single day of leave from prison. Hossein Taj told the news site 'Shargh': 'In the current month of Mehr, Ms. Akbari Monfared's 15-year sentence in the first case will end. During this time, she has not been sent on leave even for a day. Ms. Akbari Monfared has also been sentenced to two years in prison for another case. Recently, a new case has been opened against her based on a request from the Committee for Following Up and Monitoring Cases related to Article 49 of the Constitution.' Hossein Taj added: 'In the claims made by this committee, statements have been attributed to Ms. Akbari Monfared's family and relatives. This committee has requested the seizure and ownership of the properties of the Akbari Monfared family and her relatives in favor of the 'Headquarters for the Execution of Imam's Order.' This case has been referred to Branch 6 of the Revolutionary Court, which is specifically for cases related to Article 49 of the Constitution. The time for reviewing this case has not yet been determined, and only a monitoring date has been set for Mordad.' He states that according to current laws in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 'punishment should only be applied to the individual and should not include their relatives.' It has been reported multiple times that the authorities of the clerical government in Iran have opened new cases against political prisoners whose sentences are nearing completion to prolong their imprisonment. In Shahrivar 1402, it was reported that the Semnan Criminal Court sentenced Maryam Akbari Monfared in a new case for 'spreading falsehoods in cyberspace' to two years of 'punitive' imprisonment and a fine of 15 million tomans. Maryam Akbari Monfared, born in 1975, is married and has three children. She was arrested on December 31, 2009, following the Ashura protests that year, and was sentenced to 15 years of punitive imprisonment by Abolqasem Salavati in Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran. The court stated that the charge against this political prisoner was 'supporting the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization.' However, Hassan Jafari, Maryam Akbari Monfared's husband, stated that her 'only connection' to this organization was 'a few phone calls with her siblings in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.' Three brothers and one sister of Maryam Akbari Monfared were executed in the 1988 massacre. On the eve of Nowruz 1403, a group of former female inmates of Maryam Akbari Monfared called for her unconditional release. Forty-four female activists demanded 'the immediate and unconditional release' of Maryam Akbari Monfared.