Tag: Pejman Gholipour

Appeals Court Upholds Sentences of Mothers of November 2019 Protest Victims

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mahboubeh Ramazani, Navid Behboodi, Pejman Gholipour, Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, Shahriar, Tehran

The prison sentences of Mahboubeh Ramazani, mother of Pejman Gholipour, and Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, mother of Navid Behboodi—victims of the November 2019 protests—have been upheld by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals. Both were previously sentenced to 18 months and one day in prison by the Shahriar Revolutionary Court.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the appeals court confirmed the verdict issued by Branch 2 of the Shahriar Revolutionary Court, rejecting the defendants’ appeals.

Reza Shafakhah, the women’s lawyer, stated that the upheld convictions include charges of “propaganda against the regime,” “membership in the Mothers of the November 2019 Victims group,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.” The original sentence was handed down in September.

Both women have faced prior arrests and convictions for their activism. As mothers of victims killed during the November 2019 protests, they have become vocal advocates for justice.

The November 2019 protests, sparked by a sharp rise in fuel prices, erupted on November 15, 2019, and quickly spread across dozens of cities in Iran. The protests, which lasted several days, saw participation in 719 locations, according to Mohammad Javad Kolivand, an MP from Karaj. Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission at the time, reported around 7,000 arrests. Human rights organizations estimate that hundreds were killed in the violent crackdown that followed.

This ruling underscores the ongoing suppression of dissent in Iran, particularly targeting those seeking accountability for the deaths of protesters during the November 2019 unrest.

Mothers of Two Victims of November 2019 Protests Sentenced to Prison

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Freedom of Expression, News
Mahboubeh Ramezani, Navid Behboodi, Navid Behboudi, Pejman Gholipour, Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, Reza Shafakhah, Shahriar

Mahboubeh Ramezani and Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, mothers of Pejman Gholipour and Navid Behboodi, who were killed during the November 2019 protests, have each been sentenced to 18 months and one day in prison by Branch 2 of the Shahriar Revolutionary Court.

According to their lawyer, Reza Shafakhah, the court sentenced both women to six months for “propaganda against the regime,” six months for “membership in the Mothers of November 2019 Victims group,” and six months and one day for “insulting the Supreme Leader.”

Both Ramezani and Yousefzadeh have previously been arrested and sentenced due to their activism.

The November 2019 protests, sparked by a sharp rise in fuel prices, erupted on November 15, 2019, and quickly spread across dozens of cities in Iran. The protests, which lasted several days, saw participation in 719 locations, according to Mohammad Javad Kolivand, an MP from Karaj. Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission at the time, reported around 7,000 arrests. Human rights organizations estimate that hundreds were killed in the violent crackdown that followed.

Family Members of Victims of the November 2019 Protests Arrested

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Freedom of Expression, News
Hossein Taghavi, Iran Allahyari, Jafar Panahi, Jafarpanah, Mahboobeh Ramezani, Mehrdad Bakhtiari, Mehrdad Moeinfar, Pejman Gholipour, Pouya Bakhtiari, Saeed Damour, Somayeh Jafarpanah, Tala'at Meshki, Vahid Damour

On July 11, 2022, security forces arrested at least ten family members of the individuals killed during nationwide protests in  2019 known as Aban protests. In a news article, IRGC-affiliated  Fars News Agency called such families “agitators and “troublemakers” since they have been outspoken about seeking justice for their kids.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on July 11, 2022, at least ten family members of those who were killed in the Aban protest were arrested.

These apprehended individuals include Nahid Shirpisheh and Mehrdad Bakhtiari, Pouya Bakhtiari’s mother and uncle, Mahboobeh Ramezani, Pejman Gholipour’s mother, Saeed Damour, Vahid Damour’s brother, and Somayeh Jafarpanah, Jafar Panahi’s sister.

BBC Farsi has added Tala’at Meshki, Jafarpanah’s mother, Iran Allahyari, Mehrdad Moeinfar’s mother, and, Zeynab Mohammadi, Mohammad Taheri’s mother, to the list. HRANA has not been able to verify the latter yet. 

These individuals’ whereabouts are still unknown.

A few hours after these arrests, Fars News Agency called the family members “agitators” and accused them of “receiving the money to cause unrest and insecurity.”

In November of 2019, an increase in fuel prices sparked a wave of protests in dozens of cities across the country. The spokesperson of the Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Seyed Hossein Taghavi, announced that 7000 people were arrested during these protests. According to reports from human rights organizations, hundreds were killed by the security apparatus.