Son of Mohammad Nourizad, Political Prisoner in Iran, Sentenced to Over 4 Years in Prison
Ali Nourizad, son of Mohammad Nourizad, a political prisoner in Iran, has been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison by the Revolutionary Court.
According to reports published on social media, on Tuesday, Ordibehesht 2, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Iman Afshari, issued a verdict sentencing Ali Nourizad to 4 years and 2 months in prison and 2 years of deprivation from membership in political parties, groups, and organizations on charges including “gathering and conspiracy with the intent to commit crimes against national security through participation in December 2019 gatherings,” “propaganda activity against the system,” and “insulting the leader.”
This sentence was issued for Ali Nourizad while, according to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code regarding the aggregation of sentences, if this verdict is confirmed by the Court of Appeals, only 3 years and 6 months of it would be enforceable as the most severe punishment.
Based on available information, this verdict was issued in absentia and was delivered to Ali Nourizad on Tuesday when he appeared before the Revolutionary Court. Additionally, Mr. Nourizad was acquitted of the charge of insulting the leader in the verdict issued, which he had previously faced.
Davoud Farhadpour, a civil activist based in Tehran, also announced through his Instagram post that the issued verdict was intended to pressure Islamic Republic officials to coerce Mohammad Nourizad, a detained civil activist, into silence.
Mohammad Nourizad, one of the signatories of the resignation letter against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, who has been in detention since Mordad 22, 1998, was sentenced on Sunday, Farvardin 10, by Branch 35 of the Court of Appeals of Razavi Khorasan Province to 15 years in prison on charges of “membership in anti-system groups with the intent to undermine national security,” “propaganda activity against the system,” and “founding and managing a Telegram channel with the intent to undermine national security.” He is currently serving his sentence in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad.
Based on available information, Ali Nourizad was previously arrested on Dey 21, 1398 during protests against the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and was temporarily released from prison on Bahman 13 of the same year after posting bail until the completion of legal proceedings.
It should also be noted that this is not the first time the Islamic Republic has sentenced one of the detainees from the December 2019 protests to prison. Previously, Voice of America reported that five citizens from Amol named Shora Fekri, Maytham Khalili, Mohsen Rezaei, Salman Farrokhi, and another individual with the surname Raei, who were arrested during the December 2019 protests, were sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to a total of 30 months in prison.
Morgan Ortagus, spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said in a tweet on Friday, Farvardin 29, on the 100th day of the crash of this passenger plane in Iran: “The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps targeted and shot down Flight PS752 100 days ago, killing 176 passengers and crew members.”
Source: Voice of America
