Rezvaneh Ahmad Khanbeigi and three others sentenced to prison

On February 2, 2020, Rezvaneh Ahmad Khanbeigi, civil rights activist, was sentenced to six years imprisonment by the Branch 24 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran presided by judge Mohammadreza Amouzad for the charge “assembly and collusion against the national security and propaganda against the state”. Based on the Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, the charge with the highest penalty will be considered; this means that Rezvaneh Ahmad Khanbeigi should serve five years in prison. She was tried on February 1, 2020, in Tehran. She was arrested by the security forces on November 18, 2019, at her place of residence in Tehran. On December 12, 2019, she was transferred to one of IRGC’s Intelligence department detention centers. His places of residence was searched by the security forces at the time of arrest and her husband’s and her belongings were confiscated. She was eventually transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison after completion of her interrogation at the IRGC’s detention center on December 12, 2019. According to a source close to Ms. Ahmad Khanbeigi, she is suffering from seizure and epilepsy but the prison authorities have provided only a portion of her medications. Ms. Ahmad Khanbeigi was arrested along two other citizens for writing slogans on walls on January 16, 2019, and was sentenced to four years and five months imprisonment by the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran presided by judge Iman Afshari for the charge of “assembly and collusion against the national security and propaganda against the state”. On March 2, 2019, she was temporarily released on a bail of 150 million Tomans [aprox. $12,500]. Her sentence was upheld by appeals court without a hearing.

In addition, Mohammadreza Fathalizadeh was sentenced to one-year imprisonment by the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran presided by judge Iman Afshari for the charge of “assembly and collusion”. Mohammadreza Fathalizadeh was born on April 20, 1997. He was arrested by the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehransar, amid the last November’s protests and was transferred to the Ward 5 of Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary after completion of his interrogation.

Mehdi Naghdi is another arrested citizen who was sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Branch 24 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran presided by judge Mohammadreza Amouzad for the charge of “assembly and collusion through attending protest rallies”. Mehdi Naghdi, son of Gholamreza, was born in 1973 and is a professor of political science at the University of Tehran. He was arrested on November 23, 2019, by the IRGC’s intelligence department and was transferred to the Ward 5 of Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary after completion of his interrogation.

Ali Asghar Khodabandehloo, was sentenced to 3 years suspended imprisonment for the charge of “assembly and collusion” and to 6 months imprisonment for the charge of “propaganda against the state” by the Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided by judge Iman Afshari based on his attendance in the last November’s protest rallies. Mr. Khodabandehloo is a student of architecture at Azad University, South Tehran Campus. He was arrested by the security forces in front of Tehranpars neighborhood’s Basij station on November 18, 2019, and was transferred to the Ward 5 of Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary after completion of his interrogation.

The nationwide protests of November are one of the most significant events of 2019. During the November protests that lasted more than 10 days simultaneously in 719 parts of the country. At least 7133 people were arrested, hundreds died on the streets, and many protesters got gunshot wounds.