Eight political activists in Iran’s Gilan province were sentenced to prison at the urging of the Ministry of Intelligence, despite their innocence in a previous court. Reports from Gilan indicate that on 28 June 2021, the Gilan Court of Appeal sentenced these political activists to prison.
The names of these political activists are Ahmad Behnami, Ebrahim Hazuri, Mahin Akbari, Azra Taheri, Narges Shirbacheh, Simrokh Bozorg Ziaberi, Zahraheghgoo, Aqeel Rahnama Behembari.
Reports indicate that the retrial of these Gilani political activists took place in Branch 18 of the Court of Appeals without the presence of a lawyer and in absentia.
On March 25, 2021, the prosecutor of Gilan province, under the pressure of the officers of the Intelligence Office, had protested the verdicts of the mentioned people. Subsequently, the court sentenced these political activists to six months in prison in absentia on June 28, 2021, in line with the arrival of the regime’s new president Ebrahim Raisi.
Background of Gilani activists’ case
On September 28, 2020, eight well-known supporters of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (MEK/PMOI), who were active in Gilan province, were arrested and released after 18 days of illegal detention on heavy bail without committing any crime.
On December 9, 2020, in a court without the presence of a lawyer, all eight individuals were acquitted. Their acquittal was issued on February 2, 2021.
However, with the protest of the experts of the Ministry of Intelligence, the case was reopened, and a prison sentence was issued for them.
More details of these political activists:
1- Ahmad Behnami, born in 1961, was arrested and tortured several times in 1980 and 1981. He is currently suffering from diabetes.
2- Ebrahim Hozouri, born in 1961 in Faskham, Somehsara city, was a political prisoner from 1983 to 1985 in Somehsara prison. He is currently suffering from a variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s and diabetes, and is being treated by a doctor because of the torture he endured in the dreaded prisons of the 1980s.
3- Mahin Akbari, born in 1963 in the city of Hendkhaleh Somehsara, was a political prisoner from 1985 to 1987 in Rasht prison.
4- Azra Taheri, born in 1965, a political prisoner in Rasht Prison from 1986 to 1988, suffers from severe diabetes due to torture in prison and is being treated by a doctor.
5- Narges Shirbacheh, born in 1962 in Rasht. She has suffered a lot due to the hostage-taking and imprisonment of her husband and is facing various diseases.
6- Simorkh Bozorg Ziaberi, born in 1967, in Ziaber of Somehsara, suffers from severe asthma, according to the certificate of her specialist doctor.
7- Zahra Haghgoo, born in 1962 in Rasht.
8- Aqil Rahnama Behembari, born in 1962. Political prisoner was imprisoned in Rasht, Somehsara, Evin, Ghezelhesar and Gohardasht prisons from 1981 to 1995.
