Trial of Three Civil Activists; Sepideh Ghalean to Attend Public Court

News sources have reported on the trial of three civil and labor activists. Sepideh Ghalean, a prisoner civil activist, has announced that she will attend her public trial. The trial of Zeinab Zaman, a feminist and civil activist, will be held on August 25, and the trial session of Rafigh Salimi, a labor activist, was also conducted via video conference. Sepideh Ghalean stated on Tuesday, July 18, in a letter from Evin Prison, that she had previously declared she would not participate in the 'show trial of the Islamic Republic.' However, since she has been informed that the session regarding the complaint filed by 'interrogator journalist, Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour' will be held publicly, she will attend. This political prisoner added, 'Since I have no fear of recounting the truth in public, I decided to participate in this unjust court and defend myself.' She expressed hope to see 'journalists and activists' among the multitude of security and cultural workers affiliated with the Islamic Republic who have 'come to seek the truth.' This court session will be held on the morning of Wednesday, July 19. Abu Zar Zaman, brother of civil activist Zeinab Zaman, who is a lawyer, tweeted that on Tuesday, he was informed as her lawyer about the indictment and the time of the hearing in Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court. According to him, the court session for his sister on 'August 25' is to address charges of 'gathering and colluding to commit a crime against national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' The Free Union of Iranian Workers reported on Tuesday that the court session regarding the charges against Rafigh Salimi, a labor activist imprisoned in Sanandaj Central Prison, was held via 'video conference' on Sunday, July 16. According to this report, the second court session has been postponed to '15 days later,' on August 1. Previously, Rafigh Salimi was summoned to Branch 2 of the Revolutionary and General Court of Sanandaj on April 16 of this year. In this session, the charges of 'forming illegal groups and acting against national security' and 'corruption on earth' were communicated to Rafigh Salimi, and his family stated that this labor activist defended himself. According to this report, Rafigh Salimi was arrested along with his son, Foad Salimi, by Sanandaj security forces on November 28, 2022. He was transferred to Sanandaj Central Prison on January 17 after more than 50 days of detention and torture in the detention centers of the Intelligence Department. The Free Union of Iranian Workers reported that this labor activist is 'ill' and needs 'daily access to treatment.'