Iranian Dissident Receives 18 Years in Prison After Supporting Israel

Fatemeh Sepehri, a prominent Iranian political prisoner and vocal critic of the Islamic Republic who suffers from a heart ailment, has been sentenced to an additional 18 and a half years in prison.

The harsh ruling underscores the Islamic Republic’s ongoing crackdown on dissent. Sepehri’s brothers, Mohammad-Hossein Sepehri and Hossein Sepehri, have also received severe sentences, facing 8 and 5.5 years in prison, respectively.

Sepehri, who is a widely revered figure among Iranian dissidents, apparently received the long sentence for condemning Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. Despite facing prison and ill health, she issued a statement supporting the Israeli people, who were massacred, tortured, sexually assaulted, and taken hostage by Hamas. This was a clear act of defiance against the Islamic regime in Iran that staunchly supports Hamas.

The sentences were handed down by Judge Hossein Yazdankhah of Branch 5 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court following the court's second session on June 6. This information was announced by the siblings' brother, Asghar Sepehri on the social media platform X.

According to Asghar Sepehri, the charges against Fatemeh are extensive and severe. She has been sentenced to a total of 18.5 years in prison on multiple charges: 7 years for supporting Israel, another 7 years for gathering and collusion to conspire against national security, 3 years for insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and 1 year and six months for propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

Similarly, Mohammad-Hossein Sepehri faces significant charges. He has been sentenced to a total of 8 years in prison, comprising 5 years for assembly and collusion, 2 years for insulting Khamenei, and 1 year for propaganda activity against the regime.

Hossein Sepehri has also received a harsh sentence totaling 5 years and 6 months. His charges include 3 years and 7 months for gathering and collusion, 1 year and 4 months for insulting Khamenei, and 7 months for propaganda activity against the regime.

“They have built a case against our daughter resulting in 18 and half years imprisonment for condemning Hamas,” decried Sepehri’s elderly mother in a video shared on X.

Fatemeh Sepehri was already facing a lengthy prison sentence following her arrest in September 2022 amid Iran’s nationwide Woman Life Freedom protests. According to her mother when she was first arrested she spent over 30 days in the intelligence ministry’s detention undergoing interrogations before being transferred to Vakilabad prison. Her brother also previously reported of Sepehri being subject to “psychological torture by a judiciary psychiatrist” recently.

Despite being severely ill and having just had open heart surgery last year, she was promptly transferred back to prison following her surgery.

“After her open heart surgery, they took her from CCU to prison. In prison they closed the only window through which she could see the sky,” added Sepehri’s mother.

Her brothers, Mohammad Hossein, and Hossein were attending to their sister in hospital while she was having surgery when security forces arbitrarily arrested them.

“Hossein was in prison for 3 months and released on bail. Eight months have passed and now it is 9 months since Mohammad is in prison. Mohammad has not been able to speak a word. Hossein hasn’t released any statements, yet they filed a case against them [alleging] ‘you have spoken against us’ which they haven’t,” Sepehri’s mother stated.

Echoing his mother’s words, Asghar further added that his sister’s phone calls from prison are strictly monitored and she is being denied medical leave from prison.

“I condemn Hamas’s attack on Israel and say loudly that the Iranian nation stands by the Israeli nation. The Islamic Republic and its agents spend Iran’s wealth to buy bullets and attack Israel. We, the people of Iran neither want war nor the killing of defenseless people. I again condemn Hamas’s attack. Since the rise to power of Ali Khamenei and the founding of the Islamic Republic, the Middle East has not seen peace,” Sepehri had declared in her statement.