Ali Nourizad’s Mother: Instead of Trying Those Responsible for the Airliner Crash, They Imprisoned Those Who Showed Sympathy
Fateme Maleki, wife of Mohammad Nourizad and mother of Ali Nourizad, says her son has been sentenced to prison solely for participating in December protests last year against the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and has been summoned to serve his prison sentence.
Fateme Maleki, whose husband Mohammad Nourizad is also a political prisoner, told the Farsi service of Voice of America about her son’s prison sentence: “Ali received a summons in recent days to execute a sentence of 3 years and 6 months imprisonment and has until Sunday, August 26, to report to Evin Prosecutor’s Office.”
Ms. Maleki, referring to her son’s prison sentence on charges of “gathering and conspiracy with intent to commit a crime against national security through participation in December protests of 2019,” “propaganda activity against the system,” and “insulting the leadership,” told Voice of America: “I am sorry for the system we are facing. It is still unclear who were responsible for the downing of the Ukrainian airliner and no necessary investigation has been conducted in this regard. But our children, who only went to the streets out of sympathy and humanity, lit candles and chanted slogans were arrested, and now must spend their conviction period in prison.”
Ms. Maleki says Islamic Republic officials, by issuing such sentences, want to send the message that gatherings and protests should not be held; they want Iranian people not to unite even out of sympathy; however, “when we look at the process of protests in 2017 and 2019, we realize that their thinking was wrong and protests in Iran have expanded and the number of protesting citizens has increased.”
Ms. Maleki believes the Islamic Republic wants to create an atmosphere of fear and terror among citizens, an atmosphere that may be effective but will not be lasting.
Ali Nourizad, son of political prisoner Mohammad Nourizad in Iran, was one of thousands of protesting citizens who participated in December protests last year following the downing of International Flight 752 of Ukraine Airlines by a missile attack from the Revolutionary Guards Corps. He was arrested on December 12 and was sentenced by Branch 26 of Tehran Revolutionary Court to 4 years and 2 months imprisonment and 2 years deprivation of membership in political parties and groups; a sentence that based on Article 134 of Islamic Penal Code regarding merger of sentences, will result in only 3 years and 6 months being executable.
Fateme Maleki, wife of Mohammad Nourizad, also said in an interview with Voice of America regarding her husband’s situation that one year has passed since Mr. Nourizad’s unlawful arrest and he was transferred about two months ago from Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad to Ward 6 of Evin Prison’s labor ward. Ms. Maleki said that Mr. Nourizad has recently faced many difficulties as a result of disclosures he made from inside the prison during his detention.
According to Ms. Maleki, Mohammad Nourizad currently does not have permission to access telephone. Also, this political prisoner has been boycotting his visits for the past two weeks in protest of this prohibition and telephone cut-off, and family members have no reliable information about Mr. Nourizad’s situation in prison.
Mohammad Nourizad, one of the signatories of the resignation letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Republic, who has been in detention since August 13, 2019, was sentenced on Sunday, March 31, by a ruling from Branch 35 of Khorasan Razavi Province Appeals Court on charges of “membership in groups opposed to the system with intent to undermine national security,” “propaganda activity against the system,” and “establishing and managing a Telegram channel with intent to undermine national security” to 15 years imprisonment and is currently serving his sentence in Evin Prison.
It should be noted that this is not the first time the Islamic Republic has sentenced one of the detainees from December 2019 protests to prison. Previously, Voice of America reported that five citizens from Amol named Shoura Fakri, Meysam Khalili, Mohsen Rezaei, Salman Farrokhi, and another individual with the family name Raei who were arrested during the December 2019 protests were collectively sentenced to 30 months imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court.
Morgan Ortagus, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, on Friday, April 19, on the 100th day since the fall of this passenger airliner in Iran, said in a tweet: “The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps targeted and shot down Flight PS752 100 days ago and killed 176 passengers and crew members.”
Source: Voice of America
