Human Rights in Iran – Friday, February 24, 2023 – The branch of the Court of Appeals of Tehran Province, by issuing a writ, confirmed the initial ruling issued against Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani.
According to the report of Human Rights in Iran, in recent days, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, a political activist and political prisoner imprisoned in Evin Prison, was sentenced to five years in prison by the Tehran Province Appeals Court branch. The political activist is serving a 15-month prison sentence for her first judicial case.
Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani’s lawyer, announced the news on his personal page: “The five-year prison sentence and the ban on leaving the country for Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani were confirmed by the Appeals Court within three days.”
It should be noted that Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was tried on November 30, 2022, by the Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran on charges “assembly and collusion against the security of the country”, “propaganda against the state”, and “disturbing public order and comfortby participating in illegal gatherings” and sentenced to five years imprisonment and 2 years of prohibition from leaving the country.
On September 27, 2022, the political activist was arrested by security forces and transferred to solitary confinement in one of the security wards of Evin Prison for interrogation. After completing the interrogation process, she was transferred to Evin Prison for one year and three months, for her first case, which she was convicted of “propaganda against the regime” on January 25, 2021.
On August 28, 2022, Malek Shariati, a member of the Commission on Article 10 of the Parties Law, announced the exclusion of Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani from party and political activities because of her criminal conviction and the opinion of security agencies.
The exclusion was imposed on this political activist while on June 3, 2022, the Tehran prosecutor announced that Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani’s case had been referred to the court on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “insulting Islamic sanctities”.
The basis of these accusations against Faezeh Hashemi goes back to her talks in cyberspace, which has criticized the current and social situation in the country and the expansion of repressive atmosphere and security clashes.
The political activist’s father, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was among those close to Ruhollah Khomeini, the former supreme leader of Iran.
The suppression of freedom of expression violates Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted on December 16, 1966, which emphasizes the right of individuals to disseminate political and ideological opinions and views without border restrictions.
The repression of citizens and the designation of accusations based on the scenario of security agencies violates Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted on December 16, 1966.
In addition, the right to a fair trial by an impartial judge, interrogator, and investigator is among the rights highlighted in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In Article 5 of the Criminal Procedure Law, it is emphasized on informing the accused as soon as possible about the alleged charges and providing the right of access to a lawyer and other defense rights mentioned in the law.
