Three Iranian Female Political Prisoners Sentenced 5 To 10 Years

Three female political detainees in the notorious Evin prison, were sentenced to five to 10 years while they did not have access to a lawyer during their trial.

Based on the ruling, Zainab Hamrang, 50, and Soudabeh Fakharzadeh, 65, were sentenced to five years in prison on charges of assembly and collusion against the government; and Shiva Esmaili, 58, was sentenced to 10 years on the same charge.

The three women were arrested by the security forces in Tehran on March 11 for protesting to harsh government policies and then were transferred to the women's ward of Evin prison.

Since their arrest, they did not have access to a lawyer and were tried on May 14.

They were kept in solitary confinement by the intelligence ministry and then were transferred to the public ward.

Hamrang suffers from high blood pressure, chronic headaches and depression. She is a retired teacher from Moghan in Ardabil province. She had previously been imprisoned for two years in Evin prison on another charge.

Mehdi Wafa, son of Shiva Esmaili, is also serving his six years term in Evin prison.

In recent months, following the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, the regime has mounted pressure on protesting and imprisoned women.

On Sunday, Sepideh Rashno, an Iranian woman who refused to wear a headscarf and whose video of a quarrel with a hijab enforcer went viral last year, announced on Twitter that the government has filed a new case against her, and she must appear at the Evin courthouse in the next five days.