Two Iranian women, Maryam Mehrabi and Maryam Derisi, have been sentenced and taken to jail to serve their sentences.
Maryam Mehrabi Sentenced to Six Years in Prison and Additional Penalties
Maryam Mehrabi, a teacher from Isfahan, central Iran, has been sentenced to six years by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan. The verdict includes:
- One year in prison for “propaganda against the regime.”
- Five years in prison for “inciting people to war and killing with the intent to disrupt national security.”
- Two years of occupational disqualification and a two-year travel ban.
Mehrabi has been denied access to legal representation. Another part of her case, concerning accusations of spreading falsehoods, is still under review in the Isfahan Criminal Court 2.
Timeline of Events:
- Recent: She went on a hunger strike to protest her prolonged solitary confinement.
- June 18, 2023: Mehrabi was arrested along with her 8- and 11-year-old daughters by security forces in Isfahan.
- March 2023: Detained by security forces at the Mobarakeh District Prosecutor’s Office while following up on her brother Mahmoud Mehrabi’s case and transferred to Dolatabad Prison. Released three days later on bail.
- September 2022: Sentenced to 74 lashes and three months in prison by the Mobarakeh Criminal Court 2, later converted to a fine.
Maryam Mehrabi is a teacher and resident of Isfahan. Her brother, Mahmoud Mehrabi, a political prisoner, was sentenced to death by Branch 5 of the Revolutionary Court of Isfahan in May 2023 on charges of “spreading corruption on earth.” An appeal was filed with the Supreme Court in June 2023.
Maryam Derisi Transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz to Serve Sentence
On Saturday, August 3, 2024, Maryam Derisi, a student from Kazerun, southern Iran, was arrested and transferred to Adelabad Prison in Shiraz to serve her prison sentence. She was detained after reporting to the Enforcement of Criminal Judgments Branch of the General and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office of Kazerun.
Details of Sentencing:
- March 3, 2024: Branch 102 of the Revolutionary Court of Kazerun sentenced her to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime” through her Instagram posts and “removing her hijab” while under electronic surveillance. The Court of Appeals of Fars Province upheld this sentence.
Previous Incidents:
- October 15, 2022: Arrested by security forces in Shiraz and transferred to Adelabad Prison. Released on bail on November 2, 2022.
- December 2022: Sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes by Branch 103 of the Revolutionary Court of Kazerun for “disturbing public order” and “removing her hijab.”
- Branch 102: Sentenced her to three years in prison for “insulting the leader” and “propaganda against the regime.” The Court of Appeals of Fars Province later reduced her sentence to 22 months and 17 days, with a maximum penalty of 15 months in prison.
Maryam Derisi, a master’s student at Saveh University and a resident of Kazerun, began serving her sentence on May 15, 2023. After about nine months, she was released under electronic surveillance on February 5, 2024, to serve the remainder of her sentence with restricted movement.
Both cases highlight the severe penalties faced by individuals in Iran for political dissent and actions perceived as opposing the regime.
