Iranian Activists Face Grave Charges In Judiciary's Crackdown

The Iranian judiciary has leveled serious charges against a group of civil and human rights activists.

Dadban, a collective of pro-bono lawyers in Iran defending political prisoners and human rights advocates, reported that the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic has accused several individuals of "Moharebeh," or war against God, and "Corruption on Earth," offenses that could potentially lead to the death penalty.

According to the disclosed information, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Jiroft, a city located in the southern Kerman province, has initiated legal proceedings against at least four civil and human rights activists.

Among them is Puran Nazemi, a writer, poet, political activist, and human rights advocate. Nazemi, who has experienced multiple arrests and imprisonments over the past four decades, was detained twice during the anti-regime protests last year.

In late October 2021, intelligence agents conducted a raid on Nazemi's residence, subsequently transferring her to Evin Prison and placing her in solitary confinement. Although she was released two months later, she was re-arrested in February while visiting her father at a hospital and was then relocated to an undisclosed detention facility.

Dadban, relying on documentation acquired from an inside source within the Kerman Judiciary, has exposed that Nazemi and three other activists are also accused of endangering national security, inciting the public to commit acts against domestic security, insulting authorities and officials, and propagating against the Islamic Republic, among other allegations.

The identities of the other accused individuals have not been revealed. Throughout the Iranian uprisings against the Islamic Republic, around 22,000 citizens were detained, with many facing serious charges. To date, seven protesters have been executed.