More prison sentences issued for Golroo and others

Persian2English –- A six-month prison sentence was upheld in branch 54 of the Revolutionary Court for student activist Mahdieh Golroo, according to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters.

In 2010 Mahdieh Golroo wrote a letter from prison for the anniversary of Student Day (16 Azar/December 7th). Her new 6-month sentence, which is additional to an existing one-year prison term she is already serving, was issued by Judge Moghiseh in branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court. She was charged with, “Engaging in propaganda activities against the regime” and “Conspiring to act against national security”. The sentence was upheld by the Appeals Court.

Mahdieh Golroo is currently held in Evin prison and was scheduled to be released nearing the end of this month, however, the new sentence means that Mahdieh will now be released in April/May 2012.

A few days ago, six-months imprisonment sentences were also issued to student activists Bahareh Hedayat and Majid Tavakoli. They were charged with, “Propaganda against the regime”. The sentence was issued in branch 56 of the Tehran Appeals Court.

Bahareh Hedayat is currently held in Evin for a ten-year prison sentence issued in her main case file. Majid Tavakoli is currently held in Rajai Shahr ‘Gohardasht’ prison on a 8.5 year sentence issued in his main case file.

Ali Akbar Mohammad Zadeh, an imprisoned Sharif University student activist, was recently sentenced to six years in prison in the Tehran Revolutionary Court, according to sources.

The secretary of the Islamic Student Association at Sharif University was arrested on February 25, 2011, after being chased by security agents from the university to Azadi Square, where he was beaten. He is currently held in ward 350 of Evin prison and has only been able to call home three times since his arrest.

Five years of his prison sentence is for the chare ge of, “Gathering and colluding…” and one year is for “Propaganda against the regime”.
MORE ON MAHDIEH GOLROO

Mahdieh Golroo is a student activist banned from continuing her post-secondary education. Prior to her imprisonment, she was the Secretary of the Islamic Association of Allameh Tabatabaie University for Economics and the Vice Chair of the Islamic Association of Allameh Tabatabaie University. She was active in the 2009 Iranian election campaign process, making efforts to preserve the Islamic Association, and criticizing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government. Two months shy of graduating university, she was banned from continuing her post-secondary education.

Early morning December 2, 2009, numerous Iranian security agents, without any warrants, arrested Mahdieh Golroo and her husband Vahid La’lipour in their home. They were taken to Evin prison and transferred to solitary confinement cells in ward 209. Mahdieh Golroo’s interrogators took advantage of her husband’s arrest, who had no history of political activism, to get her to state she and her husband were collaborators. Throughout Mahdieh Golroo’s imprisonment, namely her time in solitary confinement, the interrogators inflicted severe pressure on her, for the purpose of extracting various confessions. Also, by arresting her husband, the interrogators wanted Mahdieh Golroo to accept the charge of “Collaborating with the PMOI/MEK”, but she strongly refused.

Vahid Lalipour was released on bail on February 21st and his hearing took place months after. On August 23rd, on the day of his wedding anniversary, Vahid Lalipour was arrested again and transferred to Evin to serve his one-year prison sentence.

On April 11, 2010, branch 26 of the Revolutionary court sentenced Mahdieh Golroo to two years and four months in prison. Her lawyer Amir Raissian was unable to view his client’s case file due to the restrictions imposed by judicial and security authorities. On the day of her trial, Mahdieh Golroo defended herself in court without the presence of her lawyer. On July 7, 2010, branch 54of the Appeals Court finalized Mahdieh’s sentence to two years in prison.

Mahdieh Golroo has been arrested more than twice for following up on the educational rights of her and other Iranian university students. In 2008, she was arrested after a protest outside Allameh Tabatabai University.

Due to the earlier arrests, a one-year *suspended imprisonment term also exists in the student activist’s case file.

*A suspended imprisonment sentence means that the sentence will not be implemented, unless the person is found guilty on another charge. There is usually a time limit associated with the suspension.