Two Civil and Political Activists Sentenced to Prison in Sari and Mahabad
Reports indicate that two political and civil activists have been sentenced to prison in separate judicial rulings.
Hrana website, which publishes reports on Iranian human rights, reported that “Kavous Kiani,” a former political prisoner, received his 10-year prison sentence on June 7 at Branch 28 of the Sari Court of Appeals.
According to the report, Mr. Kiani was arrested in November of last year on charges of managing a Telegram channel in Fridonkenar and was released from Babil Prison after 27 days. He was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment by Branch 101 of the Fridonkenar Court in March of last year.
He, who had been arrested in 1981 on charges of membership in the organization “Arman-e Mostaz’afin” and imprisoned for three years, was accused during his recent arrest of “undermining national security,” “establishing a group and anti-system Telegram channel,” and “disturbing public opinion.”
The ruling was issued while Mr. Kiani was deprived of having a lawyer.
On the other hand, “Bakhtiar Arefi,” an education official who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison on charges of membership in “Jamaat-e Davat va Islah,” was transferred to Mahabad Prison.
News websites that publish Kurdistan news reported that he was arrested in November 2014 and was ultimately released temporarily after one month upon posting bail.
Mr. Arefi was tried in March 2016 and sentenced to three years in prison, but this verdict was reduced to 18 months by Branch 13 of the Urmia Court of Appeals in October 2017.
The pressure by the Islamic Republic’s judicial and security apparatus on civil and political activists has repeatedly been the subject of protests by international human rights organizations.
Source: Voice of America
