Sepideh Qolian: I Will Not Participate in This Strange Court
Sepideh Qolian responded to her court summons by stating: I will not participate in this strange court.
Sepideh Qolian, a civil activist currently serving her sentence in Evin Prison, was summoned on July 19th to Branch 1207 of the Criminal Court at the Shahid Kachuyee Judicial Complex in Tehran to attend a hearing regarding the charges against her.
Her summons was issued following a complaint by Ameneh-Sadat Zabih Pour, an interrogator and journalist for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The charges against Ms. Qolian are “disturbing public opinion by spreading lies in cyberspace” and “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic system in cyberspace.”
In response to the summons, Sepideh Qolian stated: “The new news is something between anger and laughter. A charge that was previously tried in court and a verdict was issued for, is now about to be tried again! This means I am being summoned to court for a charge that was previously handled by Branch 24 of the Revolutionary Court.”
Ms. Qolian, emphasizing her refusal to attend such a court, continued: “The judiciary of the Islamic Republic, an institution that within just one year condemned several people to execution in trials lasting only minutes and carried out the sentences within days, in my view has neither judicial authority nor legitimacy. Therefore, I will not participate in this strange court.”
It should be noted that after her arrest in 2018, Sepideh Qolian was forced into a coerced confession. After her release, she emphasized that Ameneh-Sadat Zabih Pour, a journalist for the “20:30” program, participated in obtaining her forced confession. She also stated that during the production phase of the documentary “Burnt Design,” Ameneh-Sadat Zabih Pour was present in the interrogation room so that after hours of physical and psychological torture, she could provide them with a pre-written text to read in front of the camera.
Sepideh also filed a complaint against Ameneh-Sadat due to her role in obtaining her forced confession; however, the judicial system closed the case file and issued an order prohibiting further prosecution of her.
