{"id":1306,"date":"2019-09-12T05:17:51","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T04:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/codir.net\/?p=1306"},"modified":"2019-09-12T05:17:51","modified_gmt":"2019-09-12T04:17:51","slug":"iran-prison-and-flogging-sentences-for-seven-journalists-and-activists-disgraceful-injustice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/codir.net\/?p=1306","title":{"rendered":"Iran: Prison and flogging sentences for seven journalists and activists \u2018disgraceful injustice\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Responding to reports of a Revolutionary Court\u2019s decision on 7 September to hand four journalists and three labour rights activists between six and 18 years in prison and, in one case, 74 lashes on bogus national security charges, Amnesty International\u2019s Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director, Philip Luther, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThese outrageous sentences are just the latest to be meted out by Iran\u2019s cruel justice system and expose the authorities\u2019 complete disregard for journalists and workers\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe international community, including EU states, which have an ongoing dialogue with Iran, must step up its efforts and demand the Iranian authorities immediately stop targeting journalists and human rights defenders and end their increasingly ruthless campaign to quash what little remains of Iran\u2019s civil society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to media reports, on 7 September, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran issued a verdict against seven individuals who had been arrested over the past year after taking part in peaceful protests for workers\u2019 rights or documenting and publicizing them.<\/p>\n

The seven individuals include labour rights activists\u00a0Esmail Bakhshi<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Sepideh Gholian<\/strong><\/a>, who have been arrested several times in the past year for participating in peaceful protests by workers over unpaid wages at Haft Tappeh sugar cane company in Khuzestan province and for stating that they were tortured after their first arrest in November 2018.<\/p>\n

The court sentenced Esmail Bakhshi to a total of 13 and a half years in prison and 74 lashes after convicting him of charges including \u201cspreading lies\u201d, \u201cinsulting the Supreme Leader\u201d and \u201cgathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security\u201d. Sepideh Gholian and journalists\u00a0Amirhossein Mohammadifard<\/strong>,\u00a0Sanaz Alahyari<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Asal Mohammadi<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Amir Amirgholi<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0were each sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of charges including \u201cmembership of a group with the purpose of disrupting national security\u201d for their work at an online magazine called\u00a0Gam<\/em>, which reports on social justice issues, including labour rights, as well as \u201cspreading propaganda against the system\u201d and \u201cspreading lies\u201d.<\/p>\n

Under Iran\u2019s sentencing guidelines, which state that individuals convicted of three or more offences are required to serve the heaviest single sentence for any one of the charges, they will each be required to serve seven years in prison. For the same reason, Esmail Bakhshi\u2019s flogging sentence is not expected to be carried out.<\/p>\n

The court sentenced labour rights activist\u00a0Mohammad Khanifar<\/strong> to six years in prison for \u201cspreading propaganda against the system\u201d and \u201cgathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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