Eleven Individuals Sentenced to a Total of 95 Years for Political Charges

Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has issued extensive sentences totaling 95 years for 11 defendants on political charges. In addition to imprisonment, the individuals have also been fined and subjected to flogging and other supplementary penalties.

Under the direction of Judge Iman Afshari, the court delivered the following verdicts:

Vahid Gol-Sorkh: Five years for Blasphemy, five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” five years for “inciting people to violence”, totaling 16 years with five years enforceable.

Kazem Alineajd Baralu: Five years for Blasphemy, five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling 11 years with five years enforceable.

Arsham (Mahmood) Rezaie: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” five years for “inciting people to violence”, two years for “illegal acquisition of property,” two years and paying a fine for “dissemination of false information,” totaling 15 years with five years enforceable.

Meysam Gholami: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime, totaling six years with five years enforceable.

Vahid Ghadirzadeh: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime, totaling six years with five years enforceable.

Ali-Asghar Hassani-Rad: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime, and two years for “illegal acquisition of property,” totaling eight years with five years enforceable. Additionally, he has received 11 lashes for “holding drug,” and paying a fine.

Saman Rezaie: Four years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” with four years enforceable.

Fatemeh Haghparast Sahi: eight months for “propaganda against the regime,” paying a fine for “presence in public without Hijab.”

Payam Bastani Parizi: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” ten years for “forming group to act against national security,” with ten years enforceable.

Mohammad-Reza Kamrani-Nejad: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” one year for “propaganda against the regime,” detention period included. Five years will be enforceable to him.

Hojatollah Rafei: Five years for “assembly and collusion against national security,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime,” detention period included. Five years will be enforceable to him.

Reports from the Department of Statistics and Publication of HRA in 2023 indicate a total of 193 cases in which Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, has been involved in issuing verdicts that infringe upon the human rights of defendants.

Seven Civil Rights Activists Were Sentenced to 29 Years Imprisonment

On December 4, 2019, Moin Hajizadeh, Raha Ahmadi, Leila (Khadijeh) Mirghafari, Armin Sourani, Mohammad Abolhasani, Saman Zandian, and Vahid Ghadirzadeh were sentenced to 29 years imprisonment, combined. On November 10, 2019, they were tried at the Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court headed by judge Abolghasem Salavati.

Saman Zandian and Moin Hajizadeh were sentenced to eight years in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the state”, “insulting the Supreme Leader”, and “assembly and collusion”. Raha Ahmadi, Armin Sourani, Mohammad Abolhasani, and Vahid Ghadirzadeh were sentenced to two years imprisonment for the charge of “assembly and collusion”. Leila (Khadijeh) Mirghafari was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of “assembly and collusion”.

Based on the Article 134 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, the charge with the highest penalty will be considered; this means that Saman Zandian and Moin Hajizadeh should serve five years and six months in prison, Armin Sourani, Mohammad Abolhasani, and Vahid Ghadirzadeh should serve two years in prison, and Leila (Khadijeh) Mirghafari should serve five years in prison.

Moin Hajizadeh was arrested on August 8, 2019 by security forces and was transferred to an unknown location. He is now in the Ward 4 of Evin Prison. Raha Ahmadi was arrested on August 4, 2019 by security forces and was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin in late August. She was initially charged with “propaganda against the state”, “assembly and collusion”, “cooperation with enemy states”, and “promoting corruption and prostitution” in her incitement at the prosecution office of Evin Prison. Although her bail was set after two months, her 600 million Toman [approximately 55 thousand dollars] bail has never been accepted.

Leila Mirghafari was arrested in September 2018 by security forces and was transferred to Qarchak Prison. Mohammad Abolhasani was arrested on August 14, 2019 based on a verdict by the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court.

Saman Zandian was arrested amid the demonstrations against the economic hardship in August 2018. He completed his sentence in prison but was notified about his new charges in August 2019. Vahid Ghadirzadeh was arrested in August 1, 2019 by security forces in Ardabil and is still in a limbo state.

A video was published earlier that shows some of these activists handing out flowers and talking to people in the subway.

The trial of seven civil rights activists was held in the Revolutionary Court of Tehran

On November 10, 2019, Moin Hajizadeh, Raha Ahmadi, Leila Mirghafari, Armin Sourani, Mohammad Abolhasani, Saman Zandian, and Vahid Ghadirzadeh were tried at the Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court headed by judge Abolghasem Salavati. They were charged with “propaganda against the state” and “assembly and collusion”.

Moin Hajizadeh was arrested on August 8, 2019 by security forces and was transferred to an unknown location. He is now in the Ward 4 of Evin Prison. Raha Ahmadi was arrested on August 4, 2019 by the security forces and was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin in Late August. She was initially charged with “propaganda against the state” , “assembly and collusion”, “cooperation with enemy states”, and “promoting corruption and prostitution” in her incitement at the prosecution office of the Evin Prison. Although her bail was set after two months, her 600 million Toman [approximately 55 thousand dollars] bail has never been accepted.

Leila Mirghafari was arrested in September 2019 by security forces and was transferred to Qarchak Prison. Mohammad Abolhasani was arrested on August 14, 2019 based on a verdict of the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court.

Saman Zandian was arrested amid the demonstrations against the economic hardship in August 2018. He completed his sentence in prison but was notified about his new charges in August 2019. Vahid Ghadirzadeh was arrested in August 1, 2019 by security forces in Ardabil and is still in a limbo state.