Protest against forced double veiling led to Munireh Arabshahi being denied access to family visits
Munireh Arabshahi, a civil rights activist opposed to compulsory hijab, who is serving her sentence in Karaj's Kachouei Prison, was denied access to her family today, Wednesday, November 19, after she refused to wear a headscarf and protested against the double and compulsory covering during visits. This exclusion comes despite Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi previously claiming that wearing a veil is not necessary for defendants. Yasman Ariani, a imprisoned civil activist and daughter of Ms. Arabshahi, was also transferred to a cell in this prison on Friday, November 13, after testing positive for COVID-19, and continues to be held there without proper medical care.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, today, Wednesday, November 19, 2020, Monireh Arabshahi, a civil activist opposed to compulsory hijab, imprisoned in Karaj's Kachhui Prison, was denied access to her family.
Ms. Arabshahi was prevented from meeting with her family following her refusal to wear a veil and protest against the double and compulsory covering, and was ordered by prison security officials and the head of Karaj's Kachhui Prison.
The deprivation of this imprisoned civil activist from visits comes at a time when Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the judiciary, had previously claimed that wearing a veil was not necessary for defendants. Gholamhossein Esmaili, the spokesman for the judiciary, also said in September of last year that there was no requirement for prisoners to wear a veil. In addition, the Islamic Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure do not mention the obligation for women prisoners to wear a veil. The laws of the Prisons Organization also do not mention that women prisoners must wear a veil during visits, and political prisoners are exempt from wearing a uniform by law, which has been violated for years, especially in the women's political prisoner ward.
A source familiar with the prisoner’s conditions told HRANA: “In the previous meeting, Yasman Ariani and Munireh Arabshahi had refused to wear the veil and referred to the words of the head of the judiciary and protested against this arbitrary behavior in the prison, saying that such behavior with prisoners has not been seen in Qarchak and Evin prisons, and that they have only witnessed such encounters in this prison. Finally, the officers agreed to let them take the veil and go to the meeting hall. The head of the prison and the head of the guard had both said in response that with these actions, they would be deprived of the possibility of being sent on leave or parole, to which both Yasman Ariani and her mother, Ms. Arabshahi, had said that we still stand by our belief that we oppose compulsory hijab.”
On Friday, November 13, HRANA reported that Yasman Ariani was infected and transferred to a cell in this prison.
This informed source added regarding Ms. Ariani's physical condition: "Yasman's symptoms have become apparent, but she is currently being treated only by giving her medicine in the room where she is being kept, and she is deprived of being sent to the hospital and receiving adequate medical attention. During today's visit, the family also received some medicine from the prison; however, given the condition of Yasman Ariani and despite her and her mother's request for leave, their request has not been responded to so far."
It should be noted that previously, the prison had only delivered 40 tablets from each 60-pack of vitamin pills to Ms. Ariani. Ms. Arabshahi, who suffers from migraines and thyroid disease, had also received only one sheet of her medication.
Yasman Ariani was arrested on April 11, 2019, and transferred to the Vazra Detention Center in Tehran. She was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin along with her mother, Monireh Arabshahi, who was arrested the day after her child. They were eventually transferred from Qarchak Prison in Varamin to the women's ward of Evin Prison on August 12, 2019.
The daughter and her imprisoned mother were tried in August 2019 by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, and each was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the charges of “gathering and colluding with the intention of acting against national security, propagating against the system, and encouraging and providing the conditions for corruption and prostitution.” On appeal, each was sentenced to a total of 9 years and 7 months in prison. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, i.e. 5 years and 6 months in prison, is applicable to each of them.
On October 20, Munireh Arabshahi and Yasman Ariani were transferred from the women's ward of Evin Prison to Kachouei Prison in Karaj.
Source: HRANA
