Amnesty International Blasts Iran For Harsh Sentences Against Activists, Journalists
Amnesty International Blasts Iran For Harsh Sentences Against Activists, Journalists
In a statement on Monday, September 9, Amnesty International (AI) lambasted the Islamic Republic for issuing harsh sentences against Iranian civil and labor activists.
Two days earlier, a Revolutionary Court had sentenced four journalists and three civil and labor rights activists between six and eighteen years in prison.
AI insists that they were all sentenced on “bogus” national security charges.
“These outrageous sentences are just the latest to be meted out by Iran’s cruel justice system and expose the authorities’ complete disregard for journalists and workers’ rights,” Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director, Philip Luther, said.
According to Luther, these individuals are blatantly being targeted and punished for their work defending human rights and for publicizing human rights violations.
“This disgraceful injustice must be reversed. We call on the Iranian authorities to quash these unjust verdicts and cruel sentences and immediately and unconditionally release all seven individuals,” Luther asserted.
Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Mohammad Moqisseh, recently sentenced 24-year-old Ms. Sepideh Qolyan to seven years for “collusion and action against the national security,” seven years for “contributing to an electronic magazine”, one and a half year for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic regime,” two and a half years for disseminating false information.”
Five other activists, including the spokesman of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plant’s independent union, Esmaeil Bakhshi, have also been sentenced to eighteen years each; an unusually harsh punishment even by Islamic Republic practice.
Mid-ranking cleric, Judge Mohammad Moqisseh (Moghiseh, also nicknamed as Haj Nasser, and Nasserian) is notorious for issuing harsh sentences against political, civil, and labor activists.
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Read more at: Radio Farda
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