New charges against Nasrin Sotoudeh and the possibility of a heavy sentence for her
The Revolutionary Court has charged Nasrin Sotoudeh with a long list of charges that could result in severe punishment under the Islamic Penal Code. Amnesty International has written that Nasrin Sotoudeh faces 34 years in prison and 148 lashes.
Reza Khandan, the husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer for the prisoner, has informed the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that his wife's verdict in the second case, which faces seven charges, has been issued, but has not yet been served on Nasrin Sotoudeh in Evin Prison.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Nasrin Sotoudeh did not participate in the court proceedings in protest of the illegality of the proceedings, and did not appoint a lawyer for herself in protest of the law on the selection of lawyers approved by the judiciary.
Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband told the Human Rights Campaign that "only" one court session was held in absentia for seven charges on January 28 at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Moghiseh.
A chain of various accusations against Nasrin Sotoudeh
According to the same report, Ms. Sotoudeh is accused in the new case of “gathering and colluding against national security,” “propaganda activity against the system,” “effective membership in the illegal and anti-security group Legam Human Rights Defenders Center and the National Peace Council,” “encouraging people to corruption and prostitution and providing the conditions for it,” “appearing without a religious veil at the interrogation branch,” “disturbing public order and peace,” and “spreading lies with the intention of disturbing public opinion.”
This volume of charges can result in a heavy sentence. According to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, if there are more than three crimes committed, “only the most severe punishment shall be applicable, and if the most severe punishment is reduced, converted, or rendered unenforceable for any legal reason, the next most severe punishment shall be applied.”
These are not all the aspects of the case. The Human Rights Campaign wrote that in the indictment against Nasrin Sotoudeh, issued on September 9, 2018 by Amin Naseri, Deputy Public Prosecutor and Revolution, and a copy of which was provided to the campaign, “Nasrin Sotoudeh’s cooperation with Shirin Ebadi in holding the referendum, her support for house churches, her support for the Gonabadi dervishes, her awarding of the Sakharov Prize, her interviews with the media about the revolutionaries of which she was the lawyer for three, and also her removal of her headscarf during in-person and prison visits are mentioned as crimes.”
34 years in prison and 148 lashes
The Iranian Human Rights Campaign wrote that part of the woman's indictment states: "The defendant was a prominent, active, and organizational member of the illegal groups of the Center for Human Rights Defenders, Legam, and the National Peace Council. Together with Shirin Ebadi and..., he attempted to issue a statement to hold a referendum." "In return for his anti-regime and subversive actions, the defendant received the Sakharov Prize in the amount of 50,000 euros for continuing subversive and anti-security actions and activities."
The indictment contains a long list of all kinds of charges against this lawyer, including that he supported “house churches” and “made false statements about the women who were arrested for revealing their hijab, about the manner of their arrest, and by accusing the NAJA agents of injecting and beating the said women and even breaking their organs and encouraging people to corruption and prostitution and providing the conditions for it through interviews with media hostile to the regime and supporting the revealing of the hijab, producing a clip and publishing it on cyberspace on the issue of the hijab and protesting its compulsory nature, being present next to the power pole on Enghelab Street and placing a bouquet of flowers on it in support of girls revealing the hijab, producing and distributing pixels with the slogan “I object to the compulsory hijab,” revealing the hijab in three stages in face-to-face and private meetings in the public meeting hall in Evin Prison where the families of the accused and convicted persons attend to meet with them.”
Another accusation against Ms. Sotoudeh is that she “actively and effectively participated in actions against Evin Prison in January and February 2017 alongside elements of the Gonabadi Dervish sect.”
Amnesty International published a text on Monday, March 4, urging human rights activists to write a letter to Ebrahim Raisi, the next head of the judiciary, demanding the immediate release of Nasrin Sotoudeh. Amnesty International has reported that Nasrin Sotoudeh could face a sentence of 34 years in prison and 148 lashes.
Source: DW
