The Revolutionary Court of Isfahan, under the jurisdiction of Judge Tavakoli, has sentenced 22 political activists to a combined total of 161 years in prison, along with additional punitive measures. According to the verdict issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court, several defendants received severe prison sentences:
Samaneh Amooshahi was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Marjan Beshtam and Minoo Heydari were each sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Shamim Baharzadeh received an 8-year prison term.
The remaining 18 individuals, identified as Mahshad Keshani, Kian Talebi, Hoda Sadeghi, Erfan Khalilian, Mehrshad Barjian, Pouya Talebian, Maryam Farhang, Pouya Dana, Roozbeh Dana, Mohammadreza Ghotbizadeh, Sima Torkiyan, Zeinab (Maryam) Parandeh, Mohammad Sokhanvar, Mina Nedaei, Amir Ajamian, Amir Salari, Bahar Soleimani, and Parsa Haji Aghaei, were each sentenced to 6 years in prison. In addition to imprisonment, these individuals were also given 2-year bans on leaving the country and 2-year prohibitions on engaging in online activities.
According to witnesses present, due to a lack of proper courtroom space, the trial was conducted in the court’s prayer hall, a location typically not used for legal proceedings.
The arrests of these individuals occurred over a span of several weeks during the summer of 2023. The first group, which included Bahar Soleimani, Maryam Parandeh, Mina Nedaei and her husband Roozbeh Dana, Erfan Mirkazemi, Marjan Beshtam, Mahshad Keshani, Mohammadreza Ghotbizadeh, Samaneh Amooshahi, Shamim Baharzadeh, and Amir Salari, were detained in mid-July 2023. Subsequently, Mehrshad Barjian and Pouya Dana were arrested on August 2, 2023, followed by Maryam Farhang and Pouya Talebian on August 6, 2023.
During their detention, these individuals were reportedly subjected to severe psychological and physical torture. According to accounts from some of the detainees, an individual referred to as “Doctor” allegedly beat the prisoners and inflicted psychological abuse, particularly targeting female inmates.
The case against these political detainees was initially reviewed by Judge Ali Sabbagh of Branch 13 of the Isfahan Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office before being referred to the Revolutionary Court.
Iran HRM draws the attention of international organizations to these sentences and reports of torture, emphasizing that the use of psychological and physical pressure during detention constitutes a clear violation of international human rights standards. Procedural irregularities in the court and the severity of the sentences intensify concerns about the suppression of dissent in Iran.
The families of these convicted activists, along with Iran HRM, are calling for an independent international investigation into the conduct of authorities, particularly regarding the conditions of detainees and the unlawful actions in the judicial process.
