Giti Pourzahel Arrested and Transferred to Evin Prison to Serve Sentence
Giti Pourzahel, a retired lawyer and one of the signatories of a letter calling for Ayatollah Khamenei’s resignation, was arrested on Sunday, September 7, 2020, after appearing at Evin Court and transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison to serve her 27-month sentence.
According to Hrana news agency, the news organ of the Iranian human rights activists network, on Sunday, September 7, 2020, Giti Pourzahel, a retired lawyer, was arrested after appearing at Evin Court and transferred to the quarantine section of the women’s ward of Evin Prison to serve her sentence.
In mid-August 2019, a letter signed by 14 civil activists calling for Ayatollah Khamenei’s resignation was published. Following the publication of this letter, several signatories were arrested and others were subjected to pressure. Subsequently, another letter with similar content titled “14 Female Civil Activists” was published. Giti Pourzahel was one of the signatories of the statement of 14 female civil activists calling for Ayatollah Khamenei’s resignation.
Giti Pourzahel was arrested by security forces on August 28, 2019 in connection with this matter, and after more than a month of interrogation, was transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Ms. Pourzahel was finally released from Evin Prison on November 12, 2019, on bail of 500 million tomans, temporarily and pending the conclusion of legal proceedings.
This civil activist was later tried by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Iman Afshari and was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for the charges of collusion and conspiracy to commit crimes against national security, and 8 months imprisonment for the charge of propaganda activities against the system, totaling 4 years and 2 months imprisonment and 2 years of deprivation of membership in political groups and organizations. Of this, pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the maximum sentence of 3 years and 6 months imprisonment was enforceable.
The sentence was reduced to 2 years and 3 months imprisonment after no objection was raised to the verdict.
Giti Pourzahel, a lawyer ranked first in the judiciary and a member of the Bar Association, received her law license in the last year before the February 1979 Revolution. After the revolution, her law license was revoked in 1983 due to her criticisms of the new legal structure established in the new system. This revocation continued until 1997, when, following elections in the Bar Association and review of her case, her license was restored to her.
Ms. Pourzahel was previously arrested in November 2014 during a gathering protesting acid attacks and was later released.
Hrana previously reported on July 6 of this year on the conditions of the women’s ward of Evin Prison, introducing the inmates residing in this ward and presenting a map of different floors of this ward for better familiarization with this location.
Source: Hrana
