Saba Kord Afshari's hunger strike in Qarchak Prison, Varamin
Saba Kordafshari, a civil activist imprisoned in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, began a hunger strike on Saturday, May 8. Ms. Kord Afshari's hunger strike is in protest of the increasing pressure on her family and other political prisoners and in demand for the release of her mother, Raheleh Ahmadi, a civil activist imprisoned in Evin Prison. Saba Kord Afshari has suffered from stomach bleeding several times in the past, which has increased the concern of the civil activist's family about her health.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Saturday, May 8, 2021, Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist imprisoned in Qarchak Prison in Varamin, went on a hunger strike.
Ms. Kord Afshari's hunger strike was launched in protest of the increasing pressure on her family and other political prisoners and in demand for the release of her mother, Raheleh Ahmadi, who was sentenced to prison for informing about her son's condition and is currently serving her sentence in Evin Prison. Saba Kord Afshari has previously suffered from stomach bleeding several times, and this, along with her hunger strike, has increased the concern of the civil activist's family about her health.
Saba Kordafshari was previously sent on short-term leave on April 4 after posting bail and returned to prison on April 11 after her leave ended. Raheleh Ahmadi, Saba Kordafshari's mother, also returned to Evin Prison on Saturday, April 11, after her leave ended and after the authorities opposed her request to extend her leave for treatment. She had been sent on medical leave on March 14, 2020, after posting bail. Ms. Ahmadi requires surgery due to a ruptured disc and two months of rest after the surgery.
Raheleh Ahmadi previously faced medical problems due to nervous stress following the deportation of her daughter Saba Kordafshari to Qarchak Prison in Varamin. She suffered a ruptured disc and needed to use a walker to walk.
Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist and opponent of compulsory hijab, was released from the women's ward of Evin Prison in February 2018 after her previous conviction, but was arrested again by security forces at home on June 1, 2019, and transferred to prison some time later after the interrogations ended. She was finally sentenced on September 26, 2019, by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, to 15 years in prison for the charge of "spreading corruption and prostitution by uncovering the hijab and walking without it," to 1 year and 6 months in prison for the charge of "propaganda against the system," and to 7 years and 6 months in prison for the charge of "gathering and colluding with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country," for a total of 24 years in prison along with other social deprivations. Due to the multiple crimes and previous record, one-half of each charge has been added. Of this, 15 years in prison was the harshest punishment that could have been imposed on her.
Saba Kord Afshari's conviction will ultimately be amended by correcting a judicial violation in the trial, which increased her enforceable sentence by two and a half times to 15 years in prison. Also, by applying the law on reducing sentences, she will be sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison.
Saba Kordafshari was born on July 6, 1998.
Raheleh Ahmadi was arrested on July 9, 2019 and after being charged at the prosecutor's office, she was first transferred to the quarantine of Qarchak Prison in Varamin and finally to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center in Evin Prison, known as Ward 2-A. Ms. Ahmadi was finally returned to Qarchak Prison on July 11 after the interrogation process was completed and a few days later, she was temporarily released from prison after posting a bail of 700 million Tomans until the end of the trial process.
The court hearing on Raheleh Ahmadi's charges was held on December 9, 2019, in Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, and she was sentenced to 3 years and six months in prison for the charge of "gathering and colluding against the security of the country through cooperation with "dissident" media outlets," and to 8 months in prison for the charge of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic system," for a total of 4 years and 2 months in prison. She was also acquitted of the charge of "encouraging corruption by uncovering the hijab in public places and publishing it in cyberspace."
Of this amount, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, namely 3 years and six months of imprisonment, was applicable to Ms. Ahmadi for the charge of “gathering and colluding against the security of the country through cooperation with “dissident” media outlets.” This sentence was ultimately reduced to 2 years and seven months of imprisonment after she did not object to the verdict and submitted to the verdict.
Raheleh Asl Ahmadi was finally arrested on February 16, 2019, after appearing at Branch 3 of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office for the Execution of Sentences and transferred to Evin Prison to serve her sentence.
Source: HRANA
