Following the acceptance of a retrial, the prison sentences of four labor activists, who were previously sentenced to six years in prison, have been reduced to three years and seven months.
According to Kolbarnews, on Monday, June 10, 2024, the six-year prison sentence of Anisha Asadollahi, Reza Shahabi, Keyvan Mahdavi, and Hossein Saeedi, four labor activists imprisoned in Evin Prison, was reduced to three years and seven months each after the retrial was accepted and the case referred to a parallel branch.
Reza Shahabi, a labor activist and board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was arrested by security forces at his home on May 12, 2022, and transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention center known as Ward 209 in Evin Prison. Mr. Shahabi was sentenced in the primary court to a total of six years in prison for “propaganda activities against the regime and assembly and collusion with the intent to commit a crime against national security,” along with additional penalties including a travel ban, prohibition from membership in parties, social media activities, and residence in Tehran and neighboring provinces for two years. This sentence was upheld by the Tehran Appeals Court in late January 2023.
Mr. Shahabi has a history of previous arrests and convictions due to his union activities.
Hassan Saeedi, a member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, was arrested by security forces at his home on May 18, 2022, and transferred to Evin Prison. Mr. Saeedi was sentenced in the primary court to a total of six years in prison for “propaganda activities against the regime and assembly and collusion with the intent to commit a crime against national security,” along with additional penalties including a travel ban, prohibition from membership in parties, social media activities, and residence in Tehran and neighboring provinces for two years. This sentence was ultimately upheld by the Appeals Court.
Anisha Asadollahi, a labor activist and translator, was arrested on April 28, 2023, on the verge of International Workers’ Day and transferred to Evin Prison. This labor activist’s trial was held on April 15, 2023, by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, and in late May, she was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the regime.” The issued sentence was finally upheld by the Tehran Appeals Court and referred to Branch 1 of the Evin Court.
Keyvan Mahdavi, a labor activist and member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, was arrested by security forces at his home on May 9, 2022. Mr. Mahdavi was transferred from the Ministry of Intelligence’s detention center known as Ward 209 in Evin Prison to Ward 4 of the same prison after a period of detention. In January of the previous year, he was sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to five years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security” and an additional year in prison for “propaganda against the regime.” This sentence was upheld by the Tehran Appeals Court in March of the same year. Mr. Mahdavi has a history of previous arrests and convictions due to his activities.
