Javad Lari’s death sentence replaced with prison term

RAHANA -- According to his lawyer Manijeh Mohammadi, the lower court had received this case for further review and handed down the new sentence of 2 years imprisonment.

Javad Lari’s lawyer Manijeh Mohmmadi said in an interview with Human Rights House of Iran that the Supreme Court recently overturned the death sentence and sent it back to the lower court, resulting in the new sentence of 2 years in prison.

Mr. Lari’s lawyer who has been representing him for over 2 years while he has been behind bars with a death sentence, said that her client could be released within the next 24 hours.

On September 16, 2009, agents from the Intelligence Ministry arrested Javad Lari at his workplace. On July 2010, Judge Salavati presiding over Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Lari to death.

After Branch 32 of the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, Judge Salavati presiding over Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court re-issued Javad Lari’s death sentence and the case went back to the Supreme Court a second time for further review. The Supreme Court struck down the death penalty again and a lower court reduced the sentence to 2 years behind bars.

The charges against Javad Lari stemmed from a visit he made to Iraq in 2008 in an unsuccessful attempt to visit some of his old friends. This trip prompted the authorities to accuse him of being connected with the Mujahedin-e Khalq party (MEK), which Mr. Lari and his lawyers have vehemently denied.

Article in Persian: http://www.rahana.org/archives/47743