Sentences of over five years imprisonment for three women opposing mandatory hijab upheld in appellate court

Three women opposed to mandatory hijab who are in custody were each sentenced to five years and six months of enforceable imprisonment by the appellate court.

Amir Raisiyan, the lawyer of Yasmin Aryani, Manizheh Arabshahi, and Mozgan Kashavaraz, civil activists and protesters against mandatory hijab in Iran, wrote in a post on his Twitter page that “Branch 54 of the appellate court reduced the enforceable imprisonment sentence (harshest penalty) for Ms. Yasmin Aryani, Manizheh Arabshahi, and Mozgan Kashavaraz to 5 years and 6 months.”

This is while according to Raisiyan, the total confirmed imprisonment sentence in the appellate court for Yasmin Aryani and Manizheh Arabshahi is 9 years and 7 months, and for Mozgan Kashavaraz is 12 years and 7 months.

Previously, Judge Moghisseh, head of Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, had sentenced Yasmin Aryani, Manizheh Arabshahi, and Mozgan Kashavaraz to a total of 55 years and six months in prison.

The charges against these imprisoned women are stated as “gathering and conspiracy with the intent to act against national security,” “propaganda against the system,” and “encouraging and facilitating corruption and indecency.”

This lawyer also reported in another tweet about the issuance of the verdict without holding a court session and announced their objection to the court proceedings. He wrote that this court “was not held due to coinciding with holidays related to funeral ceremonies, and the verdict was issued without a session.”

Previously, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in issuing a statement while condemning the prison sentence of three women opposed to mandatory hijab in Iran, called for their release.

The United States also previously condemned the issuance of a combined 55-year prison sentence against three opponents of mandatory hijab in Iran.

Source: Voice of America