Two Women Detained During December Protests Each Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison
Two women arrested during the nationwide protests in December 1404 have each been sentenced to 22 years in prison by Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. These two prisoners, whose identities have not yet been confirmed by human rights sources, are being held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin and are co-defendants with three other accused persons in this case, including a cleric named Mahdi Jalali, who have been sentenced to death.
According to a report by Hrana news agency, the media organ of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has convicted these two women on charges of “espionage” and sentenced each to 22 years imprisonment. The identity of these prisoners has not yet been determined, and investigations to identify them are ongoing.
An informed source has stated that these two women initially faced the risk of death sentences, but the judge in the case ultimately applied a reduction in sentence and sentenced each to 22 years in prison. The complete details of the verdict and documentation of the charges against these two women have not yet been released.
These two women are co-defendants in a case with “Amir Reza Razaei,” “Vahid Qahramani,” and “Mahdi Jalali.” According to previous Hrana reports, Branch 23 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has also sentenced these three men to death.
Charges including “operational action for Israel” have been raised in the case of these three accused. Their death sentences were announced to them on Monday, 4 Aban 1405 in prison, and two days later on 6 Aban, they were transferred from Tehran Central Prison to Qazelhesar Prison in Karaj.
In its initial report, Hrana introduced the clerical defendant in this case only by the first name “Mahdi”; however, in a recent report, his full identity has been announced as Mahdi Jalali. According to this human rights organization, Jalali was previously a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and was arrested during the December protests.
In addition to the death sentence issued in a joint case with Amir Reza Razaei and Vahid Qahramani, Mahdi Jalali has also been sentenced to death in a separate case by the Special Court for the Clergy on charges of “apostasy.”
Thus, according to released information, two separate death sentences have been issued against him. The complete details of these cases and judicial documentation of the charges raised are not publicly available.
According to reports, the two women sentenced to 22 years in prison continue to be held in Qarchak Prison in Varamin. In contrast, Amir Reza Razaei, Vahid Qahramani, and Mahdi Jalali, following their transfer from Tehran Central Prison, are being held in Qazelhesar Prison in Karaj.
Currently, the names and details of the two women remain unknown, and independent information about their family situation, the exact time of arrest, and details of their legal proceedings have not been released.
The sentencing of 22 years imprisonment for each of these two women, alongside the death sentences issued for the three other defendants in the case, has raised serious concerns about the judicial review process for those detained during the December protests.
Charges of espionage and charges related to national security are among those that can have very serious consequences for the accused. However, for a fair assessment of such cases, it is of fundamental importance that the accused have access to independent counsel, be properly informed of the charges, have the ability to examine evidence, and benefit from an open and fair trial.
As of the time of publication of this report, the identity of the two women, the complete details of the charges, and the judicial documentation of their 22-year prison sentence remain unclear. Furthermore, no report has been released on the execution of the sentences of the three male defendants, and they continue to be held in Qazelhesar Prison.
