Preventing journalists and political activists from attending the "Health Claimants" court
The hearing on the charges against several lawyers and civil activists who have been subjected to judicial action by senior officials of the Islamic Republic for protesting against the "failure to purchase vaccines on time and contain the coronavirus" was held today, while representatives of the media and political activists were prevented from attending the court.
In a tweet referring to this meeting, reformist journalist Vida Rabbani wrote that she appeared today with "a number of political activists" including Mustafa Tajzadeh (a former Interior Ministry official in Mohammad Khatami's government) to appear in the court of "health claimants", but they were not "allowed to attend."
This eyewitness added about today's court session of a protester against the "incorrect and deadly management of the coronavirus disease in Iran" in Branch 29 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court: "We were only able to see Mehdi Mahmoudian for a few moments before entering the Revolutionary Court, when he finally convinced them to put on his own clothes (instead of prison clothes)."
On January 18, 2021, Mehdi Mahmoudian refused to appear in court due to being "forced to wear prison clothes during the transfer," and the court session was held in Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court with only Arash Kisekhroy, the attorney, and one of the other defendants in the case present.
Elham Zolfaghari, Mehdi Mahmoudian's wife, issued a statement yesterday saying: "Mehdi once again called on judicial authorities to prepare for a real public trial with the right to be attended by independent media representatives."
He also quoted the civil activist, who is in Evin Prison, as saying: "(Mehdi) invited all media, political, social, and civil activists to participate in this meeting."
Meanwhile, Zolfaghari referred to "part of Mehdi Mahmoudian's statements today in the Health Claims Court" in a tweet today and quoted him as saying: "If taking legal action for the lives of thousands of Iranian citizens is an action against national security, what is facilitating the death of at least forty thousand compatriots due to incompetence in importing the Corona vaccine on time?"
Source: Radio Farda
