Human rights activist Nader Afshari was arrested and taken to Tehran’s Evin Prison to begin serving his sentence.
Mr. Afshari was arrested today on the order of Judge Mohammad Moghiseh after attending Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran.
Nader Afshari was previously arrested following nationwide protests over dire economic conditions by Ministry of Intelligence officials on August 1, 2018 in the city of Karaj, north-west of Tehran. He was taken to “safe houses” run by the security and intelligence forces and was released on bail after 13 days.
The rights activist had previously been arrested on February 1, 2018 during the protests that erupted across the country earlier that year and detained in Section 209 of Evin prison, run by the Ministry of Intelligence, before being released on bail on March 19, 2018.
In September 2019, human rights activist Nader Afshari was sentenced to five years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and one year for “propaganda against the state”.
He would have to serve five years behind bars according to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, which allows defendants to serve only the longest sentence in cases involving multiple convictions.
Mr. Afshari’s case has not been referred to the Court of Appeals for unknown reasons, despite objections to the verdict and request for appeal.
Protests over the tough economic situation, financial corruption and mismanagement in Iran broke out December 2017 in city of Mashhad, northeastern Iran and soon spread to more than hundred cities and towns across the country, leaving at least 25 dead.
The ongoing widespread demonstrations resurfaced in August 2018.
The authorities responded to the protests with violent crackdown and mass arrests.
Iran has been sending peaceful rights activists to prison while human rights organizations reported several cases of COVID-19 contagions, and even deaths from the virus in Qarchak Prison, near Tehran, Urmia Central Prison, Sheiban Prison, Tehran’s Evin Prison, the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, and Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison in northeastern Iran.
Last week, civil rights activist Saeed Eghbali was arrested and taken to Evin Prison to begin serving a five-year sentence on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”
Civil activits Saeed Eghbali was arrested and taken to Evin Prison to begin serving a 5-year sentence on the charge of "assembly and collusion against national security. He had been arrested in Feb. 2018 for his #HumanRights activities.#Iran pic.twitter.com/asyfgDRsIN
— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) May 31, 2020
