Another Signatory of Khamenei’s Resignation Letter Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison
Mohammad Mehrdadi Far, a political activist and signatory of a letter calling for Ayatollah Khamenei’s resignation, who was arrested by security forces in June of this year, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison by a criminal court.
The Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners announced on Wednesday, February 5th, that this political activist has been sentenced to a total of 9 years in prison by the criminal court of Aran and Bidgol on charges of “propaganda activities against the system” and “inciting people to war and killing each other with the intention of disrupting national security.”
This sentence was issued to the political activist by the criminal court while, if confirmed and according to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code regarding the aggregation of sentences, only 7 years and 6 months of this sentence regarding the charge of “inciting people to war and killing each other with the intention of disrupting national security” as the most severe punishment would be enforceable.
Previously, Voice of America reported that eight signatories of the letter calling for the resignation of Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, including Hashem Khostavar, Mohammad Nourizad, Abdolrasoul Mortazavi, Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, Fatemeh Sepehri, Hashem Rajaii, Mohammad Hossein Pour, and Morteza Qasemi, were sentenced by Branch 4 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to a total of 72 years in prison, 6 years of prohibition from leaving the country, and 6 years of exile.
In June of this year, 14 political and civil activists, by issuing a statement addressed to Khamenei, called for his resignation and a change to Iran’s constitution—which, according to them, has created a ceremonial parliament, a powerless government, and an independent judiciary.
The Campaign to Defend Political and Civil Prisoners, in another report released on Wednesday, February 5th, stated that Narges Mansoori, another signatory of the letter calling for Khamenei’s resignation, based on a ruling issued on November 17th by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of conspiracy against the system and propaganda against the system, has been sentenced to 6 years in prison and two years of prohibition from membership in political and social parties and organizations.
According to this report and based on the issued ruling, Ms. Mansoori has also been sentenced, as a supplementary punishment, to transcribing two books titled “Justice in the Whirlwind and Remedy” as a specific task.
In mid-August of this year, 14 female civil activists, given the inequalities and problems faced by women in Iran, by issuing a letter, called for moving beyond the Islamic Republic and drafting a new constitution.
Earlier, security officials of the Islamic Republic had accused the signatories of these letters of attempting to “design a new sedition.” Many of the signatories of these two letters have been arrested in recent days.
International human rights organizations and the United States government have accused the Islamic Republic of violating freedom of speech and suppressing civil activists and have called for the release of journalists who have been imprisoned solely for performing their duties and profession.
The U.S. State Department also states that the Iranian regime has arrested thousands of protesters, civil activists, workers’ representatives, and members of other professions over the past two years.
Source: Voice of America
