Saba Kord Afshari's 15-year prison sentence reaffirmed after acquittal in appeals court

Saba Kord Afshari, a imprisoned civil activist who had previously been acquitted by the appeals court of a 15-year prison sentence on charges of "spreading corruption and prostitution," was sentenced again on the same charge.

Saba Kord Afshari's lawyer, Hossein Taj, confirmed the news by posting a text on Twitter that the imprisoned civil activist and protester of compulsory hijab had received a phone call from Evin Prison on Tuesday, June 26, informing her that her 15-year prison sentence on charges of "spreading corruption and prostitution," from which she had previously been acquitted by Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals, had been re-issued to her in a new letter from the prison administration.

According to this lawyer, after Saba Kord Afshari called him on the phone, he went to the Ershad Court to see if the provisions of the appeal verdict, based on which the civil activist was acquitted, had changed. This is despite the fact that, according to this lawyer, he had previously received Saba Kord Afshari's acquittal in person at Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals.

Saba Kord Afshari, a imprisoned civil activist and protester of compulsory hijab, was previously sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to 15 years in prison on charges of encouraging corruption and prostitution, 7 years and 6 months in prison on charges of gathering and colluding with the intention of committing a crime against national security, and 1 year and 6 months in prison on charges of propaganda against the system. This sentence was reduced to 9 years by the Court of Appeals after she was acquitted of the charge of "encouraging corruption and prostitution."

Raheleh Ahmadi, the mother of this imprisoned civil activist, was also arrested on Saturday, February 16, after appearing at Branch 3 of the Tehran General and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office for the Execution of Sentences and transferred to Evin Prison to serve her sentence. She had previously been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

The US State Department has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic regime's violent actions against the Iranian people under various pretexts, including attacks on the freedom to choose the type of clothing, as well as the repeated and persistent violations of the rights of Iranian citizens by agents of the regime.

Source: Voice of America