Iran Sentences Labour Activist to Prison without Access to Counsel
Published by Ali on April 4, 2019
Arsham Rezaei was arrested along with his two friends on 7 January, 2019, by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Intelligence Organization’s agents in Tehran and was taken to Evin Prison.
On 27 February, he was handed a summons in his cell to appear at the Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court that same day.
Labour activist Arsham Rezaei (Mahmoud) has been issued a total of 8 years and 6 months in prison at a trial took place on 15 March, without a lawyer or a prior notice.
Judge Mohammad Moghiseh sentenced the 27-year-old construction-building painter a lengthy prison sentence for the charges of “spreading propaganda against the state,” “gathering and collusion against national security” and “insulting the supreme leader.”
Rezaei was sentenced without the presence of a lawyer during his trial. It is not clear whether he was denied the lawyer by the judge or could not obtain one in the short time given that he was denied prior notice of the trial.
Keshvar Rezaei, the mother of Mr. Rezaei said that her son was arrested in January 2019 for participating in peaceful protest rallies, informing the public about the condition of political prisoners and meeting with their families.
His mother added: “Two other labour activists, Majid Hosseini and Mohammad Hosseinzadeh, who were detained around the same time as Rezaei was, were released on bail. He was unable to post bail because his family had insufficient funds.”
