Former Iranian President's Daughter Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison In Unrest Case - Lawyer

Muhammad Irfan Published January 10, 2023 | 08:12 PM

An Iranian court has provisionally sentenced Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, the daughter of former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to five years in prison for supporting anti-government protests, her lawyer, Neda Shams, said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2023) An Iranian court has provisionally sentenced Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, the daughter of former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to five years in prison for supporting anti-government protests, her lawyer, Neda Shams, said on Tuesday.

"Mrs. Faezeh Hashemi was provisionally sentenced to five years in prison on charges against her in the most recent case ... It is incorrect to comment on the verdict since it is not final," Shams tweeted.

Under Iranian law, the provisional verdict can be appealed.

Shams added that her client was still in prison and there were several other cases opened against her.

On September 27, 2022, Faezeh Hashemi, who is a prominent Iranian reformist opposition member and women's rights activist, was arrested for her support of the mass protests across Iran ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who passed away while in police custody after being detained for wearing an "improper" hijab.

Many Iranian citizens held the morality police responsible for Amini's death, alleging that law enforcement officers hit her in the head. During the protests, which are still ongoing, members of Iran's security forces have been attacked and some have been killed in clashes with rioters. Tehran believes the unrest was instigated from abroad.

This is not the first time Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani has been detained: her first arrest took place in 2009 when the female politician supported Iranian reformist politician Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh during the presidential election. Subsequently, Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was twice sentenced to six months in prison. She was also banned from carrying out political activities for five years.