90 associations demand fair review of environmental activists' cases

Environmental groups have written to the head of Iran's judiciary, urging him to ensure the right to a fair trial for environmental activists. They have criticized the lack of respect for the law in the case of these activists.

As the second round of the trial begins, eight environmental activists in Iran and 90 pro-environmental associations from across Iran have written a letter to Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the judiciary, asking him to "provide these detainees with a fair trial, the primary examples of which are the right to two lawyers for each defendant during the trial phase."

The IRNA news agency, publishing parts of the letter, wrote that the letter referred to cases of lawlessness against these activists. Among these cases is that "before the completion of the preliminary investigation and the determination of their guilt, reports and interviews that revealed their identities and personal details were published in some media outlets."

Another case that these associations have mentioned is the imposition of a Ta'zir punishment for all these activists, "before the then-Tehran prosecutor declared four of them subject to Hudud charges under Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code." According to the letter, during the final decision commenting stage, "the commenting authority has increased the punishment and converted it into Hudud."

Disagreement between the Ministry of Intelligence and IRGC Intelligence

Environmental activists were arrested 18 months ago by IRGC intelligence on charges of “espionage,” “corruption on earth,” and “anti-security measures.” The Rouhani government’s Ministry of Intelligence has officially denied these charges. 90 environmental groups have pointed to this disagreement between the two security agencies, writing:

"Given the existence of this clear conflict in the expert opinions of the two intelligence agencies, which has created ambiguity and doubt in the essence of the matter, such that Your Excellency, in a recent meeting with some environmental experts, somehow alluded to the resulting ambiguity, the matter is subject to the jurisprudential rule (drawing the limits of suspicion) of Article 120 of the Islamic Penal Code, and as foreseen in the holy Sharia and the law, if in such cases there is doubt and ambiguity in the occurrence and commission of the essence of the crime, the opinion is carried towards acquittal."

Eight environmental activists, Morad Tahbaz, Sam Rajabi, Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Hooman Jokar, Sepideh Kashani, Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, and Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, were arrested in the winter of 2017 and remain in prison.

Kavous Seyed Emami was also arrested at the same time with the group, but died suspiciously in prison two weeks after his arrest. Security officials claimed that Mr. Seyed Emami committed suicide in prison.

Some sources say that environmental activists' opposition to the "establishment of IRGC missile bases" in the country's protected areas is probably the main reason for accusing them of "espionage."

Over the past year and a half, many academics, civil society and environmental activists have written open letters, including to the head of the judiciary, declaring the detainees innocent and calling for their release.

The first court session of the environmental activists began in secret in mid-February 2018. The "Kalmeh" website wrote: Their presence in court was accompanied by a large number of IRGC intelligence agents, and they were not allowed to speak to each other.

None of the lawyers defending the environmental activists in court were appointed by the defendants or their families. Niloufar Bayani, the detained environmental activist, stated in the court session that she had been repeatedly beaten and threatened by the officers. She turned to the others in court and shouted: “If they had threatened you with injections like I did, you would have confessed! People have kept me in solitary confinement for the past few months, beaten me a lot and forced me to confess. They are taking me to Salati to execute me.”

Source: DW