Issuing heavy prison sentences to health advocates; source tells VOA: Judge has committed a crime

The Islamic Revolutionary Court issued the initial verdict in the so-called Health Claimants case, based on which Mustafa Nili and Mehdi Mahmoudian were sentenced to four years each, Arash Keykhosravi to two years, Mohammad Reza Faghihi to six months, and Maryam Afrafaraz to 95 days in prison.

The lower court's ruling can be appealed within 20 days, but a source close to the defendants in the case told VOA Persian that if the rulings are not violated, they will file a complaint with the Administrative Court of Justice because they believe "the judge committed a violation."

According to the text of the ruling, which VOA obtained, Branch 29 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, headed by Ali Mazloum, has charged the lawyers and civil society activists in this case with security-related charges.

According to the ruling, attorney Mustafa Nili and civil activist Mehdi Mahmoudian faced two charges of "participating in the formation and management of groups hostile to the regime" and "propaganda activity against the Islamic Republic and disrupting public order" through what was declared a "pioneering" action within the country "with the aim of unnecessarily arousing the feelings of the families of those who died from the coronavirus and bringing them to the streets under the pretext of filing a complaint against those who prevented them from purchasing the coronavirus vaccine," and was listed in the court ruling as "part of the enemy's goals."

Also, lawyer Arash Kaykhosravi was charged with "membership in groups hostile to the regime," and civil activist Maryam Afrafaraz and lawyer Mohammad Reza Faghihi were charged with "gathering and colluding with the intent to harm the country's security."

The verdict states: "Given that the defendants are members of the country's legal community and are familiar with their duties, having sworn to work in the implementation of justice and the rights of the nation, but unfortunately, they have deviated from this dangerous matter and have tried to align themselves with the enemy, some of whom have a history of judicial convictions in this regard, the court, citing Articles 610 and Article 18, Paragraph A, and Article 23, Paragraph C of the Islamic Penal Code, sentences each of the defendants, Mr. Mahmoudian and Nili, to four years in prison and two years of deprivation of activity and practice of law and activity in the media (writing, audio and visual), and Mr. Kaykhosravi to two years in prison and one year of deprivation of activity in practice of law and activity in the media (writing, audio and visual), and by applying Articles 37, Paragraphs C and C of the Islamic Penal Code, the defendant Mr. Faqihi to six months in prison and Ms. Afrafaraz to 95 days in prison."

According to Mahmoud Behzadirad, Mostafa Nili's lawyer, one of the charges in this case was the formation of a group on WhatsApp and Clubhouse to conduct a short investigation into the deaths of Iranian citizens due to Corona.

The clubhouse room of these activists was illegally bugged and the discussions there were selectively used to build a case against these members.

Maryam Afrafraz also previously revealed in a detailed interview about the "white torture" during her detention, saying that in many cases, interrogators tried to force her to accept fabricated charges against her through pressure and insinuation.

Source: Voice of America