A Court Lawyer Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Two Simple Sentences Criticizing Khamenei

Mohammad Ali Kamfirouzi a court lawyer in Iran, announced his conviction to two years of suspended imprisonment due to two sentences criticizing the leader of the Islamic Republic.

Mohammad Ali Kamfirouzi on Monday, July 31, posted a series of tweets stating that due to remarks he made during a student day speech two years ago at Shiraz University, he was summoned to court following a complaint filed by the Shiraz Fajr Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Organization, and the court ultimately convicted him.

Mr. Kamfirouzi explained that because in his speech he had said that the performance of the leadership is also subject to criticism in defense of citizens’ rights and freedoms and if the leadership is unaware of violations of citizens’ rights it is regrettable, and if it is aware it is a hundred times more regrettable, Branch One of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court charged him with insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic and sentenced him to two years of suspended imprisonment and 60 trips to Shiraz over five years.

According to this court lawyer, the Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Organization has filed several complaints against him in recent years based on baseless allegations, which ultimately resulted in a ruling against him regarding the Shiraz speech.

This is not the first time a court lawyer has faced prison sentences. Previously, several court lawyers including Nasrin Sotoudeh, Amir Salari Davudi, Payam Darfshan, Suhaila Hijab, and Ali Mojtahedzadeh have been arrested by security forces, and some of them have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms by the Revolutionary Court.

In the past year, several civil and political activists inside Iran have been threatened, summoned, and arrested solely for signing a letter calling for Ayatollah Khamenei’s resignation from the leadership of the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. State Department says the Iranian regime has arrested thousands of protesters, civil activists, labor representatives, and other groups in recent years.

Amnesty International stated in its annual human rights report that the authorities of the Islamic Republic in 2019 “severely” suppressed the Iranian people’s “right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.”

Source: Voice of America