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US, VOA Denounce Iran's 8-Year Prison Term for VOA Persian TV Host's Brother

Michael Lipin

   WASHINGTON - Iran's sentencing of the brother of a VOA Persian TV host
   to eight years in prison as part of its practice of intimidating
   relatives of exiled Iranian journalists whose reporting it dislikes has
   drawn denunciations from the Trump administration and VOA managers.

   A lawyer for the brother of Masih Alinejad, the New York-based host of
   VOA Persian's Tablet show, broke the news that her brother Alireza had
   been handed the eight-year prison term in a Wednesday tweet.

     ظÙر اÙرÙØ²Ø ÚÙارشÙب٠٢٥ تÙر Ùا٠١٣٩٩
     ØÙÙ Ù¨ سا٠زÙداÙÙ ÙÙÙÙ [1]#عÙÙرضا_عÙÙÙÚاد
     از سÙ٠شعب٠٢٨ دادگا٠اÙÙÙاب اسÙاÙ٠تÙرا٠بÙ
     Ùا ابÙاغ شد.
     Ù¥ سا٠بابت٠اجتÙاع ٠تباÙ٠ب٠Ùصد اÙدا٠عÙÙÙ
     اÙÙÙت ÙØ´Ùر
     Ù¢ سا٠بابت٠تÙÙÙ٠ب٠رÙبرÙ
     Ù¡ سا٠بابت٠تبÙÙغ عÙÙÙ ÙظاÙ
     اÙÙ ØÙ٠بدÙ٠است [2]pic.twitter.com/NZLdbq90zr
     -- Saeid Dehghan (@vakilroaya) [3]July 15, 2020

   Attorney Saeed Deghan said Tehran's Revolutionary Court issued the
   sentence to Alireza Alinejad in a Wednesday hearing, in which it
   convicted him of acting against national security, insulting Iranian
   Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and engaging in antigovernment
   propaganda. Iranian authorities arrested the 45-year-old father of two
   last September and have kept him detained at Tehran's Evin prison,
   leaving him vulnerable to coronavirus infection.

   In a Thursday appearance on [4]VOA Persian's primetime News at 9
   program, Masih Alinejad expressed outrage at the Iranian government's
   latest action against her older brother, accusing Iran of taking him
   hostage to try to silence and punish her.

   [5]Alinejad's Tablet programfeatures discussion of Iran's social and
   cultural problems, including its Islamist rulers' restrictions on
   women's rights and press freedom. She also has led a social media
   campaign in recent years to encourage secular Iranian women to resist
   the nation's compulsory hijab or Islamic veiling laws.

   In an audio message sent to VOA Persian on Thursday, U.S. Special
   Representative for Iran Brian Hook said Alireza Alinejad's "only crime"
   was having a sister who "dares to speak out against a corrupt regime --
   and she is right to do that."

   "The Revolutionary Court's terrible decision exposes once again this
   regime's brutality and insecurity against any dissent," Hook said.

   "We saw this in November with massive crackdowns and massive violence
   against peaceful protesters. I think the regime should focus on
   providing justice and prosperity for its people, instead of persecuting
   those who seek to make Iran a better country," he added.

   VOA's public relations office also issued a statement Thursday
   deploring the eight-year sentence handed to Alireza Alinejad and
   calling it part of "continued efforts by Iran to silence journalists
   who report the truth by punishing their family members."

References

   1. https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%B6%D8%A7_%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86%DA%98%D8%A7%D8%AF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://t.co/NZLdbq90zr
   3. https://twitter.com/vakilroaya/status/1283431616946339843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   4. https://ir.voanews.com/episode/masih-alinejad-interview-iran-regime-sentencing-303961
   5. https://ir.voanews.com/watch/tablet

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