Five female activists from Gilan Province, located in northern Iran along the Caspian Sea, have been sentenced to a total of 20 years and 7 months in prison by the Iranian judiciary. The activists—Anahita Doostdar, Nina Golestani, Rozita Rajaei, Anahita Hejazi, and Negin Edalatkhah—were involved in media and environmental activities.
Each of these women was sentenced by the Third Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht, the provincial capital of Gilan. They were found guilty of “assembly and collusion” and received a sentence of 3 years, 6 months, and 1 day. Additionally, they were charged with “propaganda against the state” and sentenced to 7 months and 16 days in prison.
Rozita Rajaei is a writer, and Anahita Hejazi is the director of a sanctuary for animals in Rasht. Along with the other three activists, they were arrested on November 11, 2023, by the regime’s security forces. After their arrest, they were temporarily released on bail from Lakan Prison in Rasht.
This case highlights the ongoing crackdown on civil and human rights activists in Iran, particularly in Gilan Province. The arrests and subsequent convictions are part of a broader pattern of increasing repression against those who exercise basic rights such as freedom of expression, assembly, and association, with a notable impact on women’s rights.
The city of Rasht was a significant site of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, which sparked widespread demonstrations across Iran. In the aftermath, numerous female activists in Gilan were summoned and arrested.
In another incident, on August 16, 2023, 12 female activists were arrested in the cities of Fuman, Anzali, and Lahijan, also located in Gilan Province. These activists were collectively sentenced to more than 60 years in prison, a ruling that was upheld by the Gilan Provincial Appeals Court on May 28, 2024, leading to the imprisonment of several of them in Lakan Prison.
These developments underscore the severe restrictions on civil liberties and the intensified repression faced by women’s rights activists in Iran, particularly in regions like Gilan.
