The Iranian judiciary has sentenced two grieving mothers, Mahboubeh Ramazani and Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, each to 1.5 years in prison for their role in seeking justice for their children, who were killed during the November 2019 protests in Iran. Both women are prominent members of the “Justice seeking Mothers” group, which seeks accountability for the government’s actions during the protests, also known as the Aban Protests.
Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar sentenced Ramazani, the mother of Pejman Gholipour, and Yousefzadeh, the mother of Navid Behboudi, to six months in prison for “propaganda against the regime,” six months for their affiliation with the Mothers of Aban, and an additional six months and one day for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Background of the Case
Mahboubeh Ramazani and Rahimeh Yousefzadeh have been vocal advocates for justice following the deaths of their sons in the protests. Navid Behboudi, a student of mechanical engineering, was killed by direct fire from security forces on November 17, 2019, in the Ghal’eh Hassan Khan area. Born in September 1996, Behboudi had been an exceptional student, attending one of Tehran’s prestigious schools for gifted children before his untimely death. Since then, Ramazani has been arrested multiple times for her activism, demanding justice for her son’s killing.
Similarly, Pejman Gholipour, born on August 29, 2001, had just finished high school when he was fatally shot with five bullets by security forces. Gholipour, like Behboudi, was one of the many young victims of the government’s brutal crackdown on protesters during the Aban Protests.
The November 2019 Protests
The protests in November 2019 erupted across 200 cities in Iran, sparked by a sudden increase in fuel prices. However, the demonstrations quickly turned into broader anti-government protests. The government responded with unprecedented violence, killing at least 1,500 protesters within 48 hours, according to reports from human rights organizations. Security forces used live ammunition, tanks, and heavy weaponry to suppress the uprisings, particularly in cities like Tehran, Shiraz, Karaj, and Mahshahr.
In addition to the killings, over 12,000 people were detained, and 4,000 were injured. Despite international condemnation, the Iranian government has continued its campaign of intimidation and prosecution against activists, including the mothers of the slain protesters.
The sentencing of Ramazani and Yousefzadeh is part of a broader effort by Iranian authorities to silence the families of those killed in the 2019 protests.
