In a recent wave of oppressive actions, the clerical regime in Iran has intensified its crackdown on human rights activists, sentencing them to severe prison terms and imposing hefty fines.
This move is seen as an attempt by the regime to stifle dissent and fill its coffers under the guise of judicial proceedings. Among those targeted are Nirvana Torbati-Nejad, Fereshteh Mahdavi, Mahnaz Tarrah, and Mahboubeh Bigdeli, all of whom have faced harsh sentences for their activism.
Nirvana Torbati-Nejad, a 16-year-old, found herself at the receiving end of the regime’s harsh justice system. On January 7, Branch 105 of the Criminal Court No. 2 of Gorgan sentenced her to ten months of imprisonment for alleged membership in groups opposing the regime and disrupting national security. Additionally, she was fined two million Tomans for “assembly and collusion to commit crime against internal security.” Torbati-Nejad’s trial, held on December 27, 2023, came after her abduction by security forces on September 10, 2023, just before the anniversary of the Iran uprising in 2022.
Fereshteh Mahdavi
Similarly, Fereshteh Mahdavi faced the regime’s wrath. The same court sentenced her to ten months in prison and 50 lashes, a punishment later commuted to a fine of 10 million tomans. Mahdavi’s ordeal began when she was arrested while delivering clothes for her imprisoned son at the Prison of Gorgan. Although temporarily released on bail in mid-October, she was convicted for “disrupting public calm.”
Another alarming case is that of Narges Mansouri, who is currently in a dire state of health in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. Mansouri, a 46-year-old mother and a member of the Syndicate of the workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, has been on a hunger strike since December 25, 2023, protesting against undue pressures on her family and the confiscation of her mother’s house set as her bail. Mansouri was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the state.”
Narges Mansouri
Mahnaz Tarrah and Mahboubeh Bigdeli have also fallen victim to the regime’s crackdown. Tarrah, a Tehran resident, received a sentence of 4 years and 4 months for “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the state.” Bigdeli, a rights activist from Gachsaran, was sentenced to five months in prison for disseminating propaganda against the state.
These cases highlight the regime’s continuing efforts to silence voices of dissent, using the judicial system as a tool for repression. The international community is closely watching these developments, raising concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.
Mahnaz Tarrah and Mahboubeh Bigdeli
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