• Spanish
    • French
    • English
  • Newsletter
Atalayar Politics
The keys to the world in your handsLes clés du monde entre vos mainsLas claves del mundo en tus manos
Search
Sections
Follow us
Language
  • Spanish
  • French
  • English
The women's rights activist has been charged with "propaganda" and "disturbing public order". She was arrested after the start of the current anti-government protests for "inciting unrest"

Iran sentences Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former president Rafsanjani, to five years in prison

An Iranian commits suicide to raise awareness of the situation in his country

UK will designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group

Iran executes two prisoners for crimes committed during protests

Iran: a decade in prison as a sentence for protesters

faezeh-hashemi-iran
Margarita Arredondas
Updated: 11/01/23

Iranian activist and former MP Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been sentenced to five years in prison for "propaganda" and acts against national security, according to her lawyer Neda Shams. However, as she noted on Twitter, "the sentence is not final" and she will appeal the verdict within the time allowed by law.

Hashemi, 60, has been charged with "disturbing public order by participating in illegal gatherings". However, this is not the first time she has faced such charges. In 2012 she was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic". In that year the authorities also banned her from participating in political activities.

In 2022 a Tehran prosecutor again charged her with "propaganda against the system" and in September, following the start of protests over the murder of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, Hashemi was arrested for "inciting unrest" in the capital, Reuters reports.

The activist's father, former President Rafsanjani, was one of the founders of today's Islamic Republic. During his term in office from 1989 to 1997, he advocated mending ties with the West, a move that provoked domestic criticism. 

Hashemi joins a long list of people condemned by the regime since the protests began. The list of people killed and sentenced to death is also long. According to figures from Iran Human Rights, at least 481 protesters have been killed during the protests, while 109 are at risk of execution. 

So far, the authorities have already executed four men since December: Mohsen Shekari (23 years old), Majidreza Rahnavard (23 years old), Mohammad Mehdi Karami (22 years old) and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini (39 years old). The regime accused them of attacking security officials in unlawful trials. During their detention they were subjected to brutal torture.

As Seyed Mohammad Hosseini's lawyer recounted, his client was beaten with his hands and legs tied and blindfolded. "He received kicks to the head that made him lose consciousness, blows to the soles of his feet with an iron bar and electric shocks to different parts of his body," added the lawyer, Ali Sharifzadeh.

Mohammad Ghobadlou and Mohammad Boroughani at risk of imminent execution 

Despite international criticism, the Iranian regime continues to sentence more citizens to death. In fact, young Mohammad Ghobadlou and Mohammad Boroughani, aged 22 and 19 respectively, could be the next to be killed by the authorities. Iran's Supreme Court upheld their sentence a few days ago, the step before the executions.

In order to prevent their death, dozens of people moved outside Karaj prison, near Tehran. Relatives and demonstrators called for the release of the young men while shouting slogans against the Ayatollahs' regime.

Iranians in exile continue to organise protests against the regime, supporting and giving a voice to their compatriots and demanding that Western governments cut ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite international condemnation, no country has gone so far as to take the decision, as Iranians are demanding. Nations such as the Netherlands and Italy have recalled the Iranian ambassador for consultations, while others such as Germany and the UK are preparing new sanctions packages or considering designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group. 

Canadian President Justin Trudeau is one of the Western leaders who has been most engaged with the Iranian people. Trudeau has attended demonstrations organised by Iranians living in Canada and has approved significant sanctions against Tehran's military and political elite. 

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron invited four Iranian activists to the Elysee. Among them was Roya Piraei, whose mother died in the protests, and the well-known journalist Masih Alinejad, famous for launching a campaign encouraging Iranian women to remove the hijab. From the headquarters of the French presidency, Macron gave an interview to French public radio with the activists. 

Tags:
More in Politics