Uncertainty and continued detention of "Sedighe Vasmaghi" in Evin Prison

After more than two weeks, "Sedighe Vasmaghi" is still in limbo and detention in Evin Prison.

Sedighe Vasmaghi, a political and social analyst, religious scholar, and Islamic scholar who had removed her headscarf in protest of the treatment of women and the mandatory hijab, was arrested by security forces on March 16, 1402, and transferred to Evin Prison. A few days later, her indictment was issued on charges of "propaganda against the regime in cyberspace" and "appearing in public without a hijab" and referred to Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh, the husband of Sediqeh Wasmaghi, said regarding her arrest: "Four plainclothes officers, three male officers and one female officer, visited our home and, without ringing the doorbell of our apartment, entered the apartment through a neighbor's bell. They appeared in front of the door and demanded entry."

Ms. Wasmaghi's lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, also mentioned that his client had been sentenced to one year in prison and had been summoned by the court, and said regarding her arrest: "Ms. Wasmaghi had notified me of her arrest and the investigator said they should come themselves, but Ms. Wasmaghi said that she would not go so they would not say what the charges were. The officers also came to her home today, March 16, and arrested her."

Sediqeh Wasmaghi was deprived of visits with her family on the orders of the prison warden Hedayat Farzadi on April 25, 1403, due to her failure to observe the mandatory hijab. She has also had a history of legal action in the past due to her activities.

It should be noted that Ms. Wasmaghi suffers from heart disease, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar, and these physical problems have made it more difficult for her to endure imprisonment, but despite these issues, she is still in limbo after more than two weeks.

Ms. Sedighe Vasmaghi is not the only woman who is being held indefinitely in prison for not wearing the compulsory hijab and opposing the regime. Many Iranian women and girls are being held in prison for opposing the Islamic Republic, and this trend has intensified since the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed by members of the Islamic Guidance Patrol because of her inappropriate hijab. Since the death of Mahsa Amini, many Iranian girls and women have been refusing to wear the compulsory hijab, thus openly declaring their opposition to the regime. Their number has increased every day, and the number of those arrested by the regime's agents has also increased. All of the detainees, who are still being held indefinitely in prisons across the country, have been convicted on false charges, including "propaganda against the regime," "insulting the sacred and the leadership," "propaganda of a religion contrary to Islamic law," and so on. In many cases, they have been denied the right to a lawyer.