After Summoning November 2019 Protesters, Wave of Journalist and Political Activist Summons Begins

Reports indicate the holding of a hearing session to address charges against a large number of journalists and political activists in connection with the November 2019 protests.

Hassan Asadi Zidabadi, a journalist, reported on Wednesday, June 24, through a series of tweets about the holding of a hearing session to address charges against some political activists in connection with the November 2019 protests last year, writing that in the indictment of this case “only the charge of propaganda against the system is raised.”

He further stated: “Some of those present and their lawyers at this session demanded the issuance of a political crime verdict and referral of the case to a public court with the presence of a jury.”

According to Mr. Zidabadi’s announcement, at this session, in addition to him, political activists and journalists such as “Azar Mansouri, Reyhaneh Tabatabai, Mahdi Mahmodiyan, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Mahdi Drispur, Issa Sahrakhiz” and also lawyers of some individuals such as Sedighe Vasmaqi, Behzad Ghorbaniannzhad, Mohsen Armain, Mohsen Amanzadeh, and Hossein Karroubi were also present.

Previously, Mohammad Javad Ahmadi and Aria Hamedirad, two of those arrested during the November protests, were sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court.

Following the November protests and the arrest of a number of Iranian citizens, 160 lawyers signed a letter addressed to the President of Iran, demanding an investigation into the violence in suppressing the November protesters and holding those responsible accountable.

President Donald Trump on Thursday, November 30, in his first public stance on Iran’s people protests, said that Iran has become so unstable that the regime shut down its entire internet system so that the good people of Iran cannot talk about the severe violence taking place inside that country.

Following these protests, Reuters news agency reported that the death toll in Iran’s protests was 1,500 people and, citing three sources close to the Islamic Republic’s leader, wrote that Khamenei had ordered government and security officials to do “whatever is necessary” to stop the protests.

However, more than six months after the November 2019 protests, the Islamic Republic’s officials announced for the first time that the death toll from these protests was approximately 225 people. A figure that contradicts international statistics.

Source: Voice of America