A group of Iranian documentary filmmakers testified to the "innocence" of detained environmental activists

A number of Iranian documentary filmmakers testified to the "innocence" of eight environmental activists arrested in the country in a letter to the head of Iran's judiciary and called for a "fair and transparent" investigation into their case.

The documentary filmmakers' letter, which was published in the Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, expressed concern about the fate of Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Hooman Jokar, Sam Rajabi, Taher Ghadirian, Niloufar Bayani, Sepideh Kashani, Morad Tahbaz, and Abdolreza Kouhpayeh.

Eight environmental activists have been in the custody of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence agency since last year. The judiciary initially charged them with "spying for foreigners," but a few months later, some of them were charged with "corruption on earth," a charge that could carry the death penalty.

The case has also been overshadowed by the death of Kavoos Seyed Emami, head of the Parsian Wildlife Institute, who died in the custody of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence agency. IRGC officials have called his death a "suicide."

"160 Iranian Documentaries" wrote in their letter to Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of Iran's judiciary, that the detained environmental activists "have devoted most of their lives to enlightening and raising awareness about the endangered environment in Iran and saving our country's wildlife, and have been among the main protectors of the Asiatic cheetah, which has become a symbol of Iran's environment."

The signatories of this letter then called the accusations of "espionage and treason against the homeland, and corruption on earth" against these eight environmental activists unbelievable and emphasized, "Anyone who knows them knows nothing about them except for the sake of prosperity on this earth."

Previously, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and a four-member panel that the president had assigned to investigate the case have denied the accusation of espionage against these environmental activists. The Iranian documentary makers’ letter also refers to the verdict of the Ministry of Intelligence and the four-member presidential panel on the case, saying that “every day the number of witnesses to their innocence is increasing.”

These documentary filmmakers ultimately told Mr. Larijani that they were calling for "a transparent and fair trial, holding a public trial, and granting the defendants the right to freely choose a lawyer."

So far, three court hearings of eight environmental activists have been held in private, and only "trusted" lawyers of the judiciary were present in all three of these hearings.

Source: Radio Farda