Sufi dervishes and their lawyer sentenced to prison and prohibited from legal represenation

Iran Press News: Branch 101 of public criminal court in the city of Ghom sentenced Seyed Ahmad Shariat, director and founder of the Shariat Hosseinieh* of Ghom, Qolamreza Harsini, the lawyer for the Hosseinieh and other defendants in the case to prison, a cash penalty and in the case of Harsini, banned from practicing law.

According to the regime-run news agency ILNA, after investigating the case, the Mullah judge Pour-Moussavi, sentenced Seyed Ahmad Shariat to serve one year in prison, a $7000 cash penalty - $3500 of which was in lieu of being flogged – and finally 10 years exile from his hometown of Ghom. Qolamreza Harsini was sentenced to serve one year in prison, a cash penalty of $3500 and five years suspention from practicing law. The other defendants in the case were sentenced to anywhere between 3 month to 10 days imprisonment.

The charges brought against the Gonabadi faith dervishes in Ghom was “the forcible invasion of their own Hosseinieh (!)”, “disrupting public order" and "disobeying the [regime’s] disciplinary commanders and agents".

Prior to this, in branch 112 of the public criminal court of Ghom which is also presided over by the very same Mullah judge Pour-Moussavi, 52 of the Gonabadi faith dervishes and their 2 lawyers were sentenced to each serve one year in prison and 74 lashes; the lawyers were also suspended from practicing law.

* A gathering and prayer center is known as Hosseinieh