Masih Alinejad: "My brother's only crime is that he is related to me."

According to a statement released by exiled journalist Masih Alinejad, the trial of his brother, Alireza Alinejad, is being held in Iran to pressure an end to the campaign against compulsory hijab. The Campaign for Human Rights in Iran condemns the pressure on family members of exiled activists and journalists, including Alireza Alinejad.

Saeed Dehghan, Alireza Alinejad's lawyer, wrote on his Instagram that part of his client's first court session was dedicated to the performance of his sister Masih Alinejad.

According to Masih Alinejad: "My brother's only crime is that he is related to me. They are mercilessly inflicting these calamities on him just to silence me."

According to this announcement, Alireza Alinejad has been in detention for months, while Judge Mohammad Moghiseh has not yet specified his charges and has opposed his temporary release.

Judge Moghiseh has a long history of issuing harsh security sentences to punish the peaceful activities of civil society activists, including journalists.

Recently, Judge Moghiseh opposed the conditional release of Fatemeh Khoshvand, known as "Sahar Tabar," who was arrested about six months ago for posting fantasy pictures on Instagram, even though she has contracted the COVID-19 virus and is connected to an oxygen machine in the hospital.

Alireza Alinejad has been detained in Ward 2-A of Evin Prison since his arrest by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps agents in October 2010.

Masih Alinejad, who lives in the United States, is the founder of the "Stealth Freedoms" virtual campaign and a reporter for the weekly "Tablet" program for Voice of America.

Also, in August 2018, the Iranian government pressured Alinejad's family members to give a television interview against her and condemn her anti-compulsory hijab activities.

In order to threaten and neutralize civil activists and journalists living abroad, Iranian security services have in many cases harassed and arrested their relatives inside the country and attempted to discredit their identities.

Last March, UN human rights experts called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the harassment and intimidation of BBC Persian journalists in London and to stop the humiliating treatment of their relatives in Iran.

Source: Human Rights Campaign