Three Civil Rights Activists Sentenced to 55 Years imprisonment
Published by Ali on August 5, 2019
Three women’s rights activists held in Qarchak Prison have been sentenced to a total of 55 years in prison for removing their hijabs in public.
The Revolutionary Court of Tehran informed Yasaman Aryani, Monireh Arabshahi, and Mojgan Keshavar of their sentences in the absence of their lawyers on Wednesday, 31 July, 2019.
The Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided by Mohammad Moghiseh, sentenced each of these prisoners to 5 years in prison for “association and collusion against national security,” one year for “disseminating propaganda against the state,” and 10 years for “encouraging and preparing the grounds for corruption and prostitution.” In addition to these charges, Mojgan Keshavarz has been sentenced to 7.5 years for “insulting the sanctities.” These add up to 55 years and six months in prison for the women’s rights activists.
These three activists had been informed of their charges by the judge telling them in abusive language that; “I will make you all suffer”, on 26 June, 2019,
On 8 March, 2019, a video widely shared on social media showing Monireh Arabshahi, Yasaman Aryani and Mojgan Keshavarz without their headscarves,
distributing flowers to female passengers on a metro train in Tehran and discussing their hopes for women’s rights in Iran.
Following the posting of the video, Yasaman Aryani was arrested at home on 10 April, 2019.
Aryani’s mother, Monireh Arabshahi, was arrested the next day after she went to the Vozara detention center in Tehran to inquire about her daughter’s whereabouts. She was then transferred to the notorious Qarchak Prison.
Yasaman Aryani was held in solitary confinement in Vozara detention center for 9 days under interrogation, pressure and ill-treatment to make forced confessions regarding her civil activities.
Mojgan Keshavarz was arrested by the state security forces on 25 April, 2019 at her home in front of her nine-year-old daughter.
