Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Iran Moves Closer to Jailing Female Rights Activist for 2nd Time in a Decade
for Her Criticism of Government

Michael Lipin

   WASHINGTON - Iran has moved a step closer to re-imprisoning a female
   human rights advocate for her peaceful expressions of opposition to the
   nation's Islamist rulers.Aknowledgeable sourcetold VOAthe
   womanwassentenced to six years in prison for criticizing the nation's
   Islamist rulers through street protests and social media.

   Speaking to VOA Persian from Iran earlier this month, a source close to
   activist Jila Karamzadeh Makvandi said she was sentenced to six years
   in prison for participating in anti-government streets protests and
   expressing anti-government views on social media.

     در خصÙص خاÙÙ [1]#ÚÛÙا_کرÙ_زادÙ_ÙÚ©ÙÙØ¯Û ØÚ©Ù'شش ساÙ
     Øبس بابت اتÙاÙات اجتÙاع ٠تباÙÛ Ø¨Ù Ùصد
     ارتکاب جر٠عÙÛ٠اÙÙÛت ÙÙÛ Ù ØªØ¨ÙÛغ عÙÛÙ Ùظا٠ک٠بÙ
     صÙرت غÛØ§Ø¨Û ØµØ§Ø¯Ø± شد٠بÙØ¯Ø Ù¾Ø³ از ÙاخÙاÙÛØ Ø¹ÛÙاÙ
     تÙسط شعب٠۲۹ دادگا٠اÙÙÙاب تأÛÛد شد.
     -- Babak Paknia (@DrPaknia) [2]October 4, 2020

   BabakPaknia, one ofMakvandi'slawyers, reported the sentencing in an
   Oct. 4 tweet.

   The sourcetoldVOA Iranian judge Seyed Ali Mazloum orderedMakvandito
   serve five years in prison for"gathering and conspiring against
   national security"and one year for spreading anti-government
   propaganda.

   Under Iranian law,Makvandi'seffective jail term would be five years.
   She remains free on bail, pending an appeal, after authorities arrested
   her on Nov. 12, 2019, and held her for 20 days.

   Pakniaappealed the sentence in a September29 filing with the judiciary,
   the source said.

   Iranian state-approved news agencyEnsafmentionedMakvandi'ssentencing in
   an October 5[3] articleciting the opposition Human Rights Activist News
   Agency (HRANA). But therehas beennoofficialword from
   Iranianauthoritiesabout her case in state media or any announcement
   about when an appellate court would review her sentence.

   VOA's source saidMakvandiwas detained for participating in
   anti-government protests that swept Iran last November in response to
   an unpopular hike in subsidized gas prices.Makvandijoined a peaceful
   rally at Tehran's Laleh Park and chanted slogans including"No to
   poverty, war and dictatorship,"the source added.

   During her 20 days in detention, Iranian intelligence agents also
   interrogatedMakvandiabout her social media posts criticizing Iran's
   Islamist practice of compelling women to wear a hijab in public, the
   source said.Makvandiposted the critiques onInstagram and Telegram.

   The source said judge Mazloum initially sentencedMakvandito six years
   in prison on the two charges of conspiracy and propaganda in February,
   butMakvandiandPakniasuccessfully appealed to the Iranian judiciary for
   a retrial. In the one-dayproceedingon Sept. 7, the source said the same
   judge issued the same sentence and ignored the lawyer's argument that
   thejudicialprocess was unfair.

   If the sentence is upheld on appeal, itwould be[4]Makvandi'ssecond
   incarceration in a decade. Shepreviously served 20 months in
   prison,from late December2011 to September2013,for participating in
   anti-governmentprotests againstthe disputed 2009 re-election of
   then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

   FollowingMakvandi'sarrest in February 2010 for her peaceful role in
   the"Green Movement"protests and her release on bail the following
   month, Iranian authorities sentenced her to two years in prison for the
   same charge that she currently faces,"gathering and conspiring against
   national security."VOA's sourceallegedthat previous trial also was
   unfair.

   This article originated in [5]VOA's Persian Service.Click [6]here for
   the original Persian version of the story.

References

   1. https://twitter.com/hashtag/%DA%98%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%A7_%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%85_%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87_%D9%85%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://twitter.com/DrPaknia/status/1312763967748571139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. http://www.ensafnews.com/261497/%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%B7-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%85/
   4. https://ipa.united4iran.org/en/prisoner/46/
   5. https://ir.voanews.com/
   6. https://ir.voanews.com/civil-rights/iran-human-rights-activist-7

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