Labor activist Atefeh Rangriz who is presently imprisoned in Qarchak Prison in Varamin was sentenced to 11 years and six months in jail and 74 lashes.
Atefeh Rangriz was tried on August 5, 2019, at Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, and her verdict was issued on August 31.
Labor activist Atefeh Rangriz was arrested along with a number of other labor activists during May 1, protests in Tehran. She is a resilient prisoner. In an open letter on August 15, 2019, she described the conditions in Qarchak Prison as “hell.” In this letter, labor activist Atefeh Rangriz wrote that each of the ten wards in Qarchak Prison accommodates between 120 to 150 inmates. Every 12 prisoners are held in a “cabin” only 8 square meters.
As the economic situation in Iran paves a downward spiral coupled with growing protests by people who have nothing to lose, the clerical regime is struggling to control the situation by greater number of executions and by issuing heavy sentences for civil and rights activists.
In recent weeks, Nasrin Javadi, a retired worker of social security, was sentenced to 7 years in prison and 74 lashes for participating in the Labor Day protest. Journalist and student activist, Marzieh Amiri, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail and 148 lashes, for taking part in the May Day protest in Tehran.
Saba Kord Afshari was sentenced to 24 years in prison for protesting the compulsory veil and refusing to cooperate with the regime and make forced confessions.
In another development, Parvin Mohammadi, vice president of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was sentenced to one year in prison upon the verdict of the Court of Karaj which tried her on August 24, 2019. She is accused of “propaganda against the state.” She was arrested by security forces during a Labor Day gathering in Karaj on April 26, 2019.
