Delaram Ali, woman’s rights
defender, appeared in the 15th District of the Revolutionary Courts, in Tehran
on Monday July 2, 2007, following a summons to court. In court, Delaram was
handed a sentence for her participation in the peaceful gathering of women’s
rights defenders in June 2006, in Hafte Tir Square, which ended with police
violence and brutality and the arrest of 70 protesters. While in court, Delaram
Ali was allowed to view her sentence and copy by hand the verdict for her own
records.
Delaram Ali
Delaram Ali, who is a women’s rights
activist and student and a member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, was
sentenced for her participation in this peaceful protest to 2 years and 10
months prison term (which must be served in full) and 10 lashes.
The sentence issued by Judge Salavati, in
charge of the 15th District of the Revolutionary Courts, relied on ammendments
500, 610 and 618 of the Penal Code finding Delaram guilty of propaganda against
the state, sentencing her to a six month prison term, participation in the June
12th protest, sentencing her to a two-year prison term, and disruption of public
order sentencing her to a 4 month prison term and 10 lashes.
This sentence which totals 2 years and 10
months jail term and 10 lashes, was commuted to this woman’s rights defender at
a time, when similar cases against other women’s rights defenders charged in
relation to the June 2006 protest, have received much lighter sentences. This
disparity in sentencing demonstrates lack of unity among the courts and judges
in treatment of women’s rights activists.
The verdict issued by the court in the
case of Delaram Ali, based its findings on a report by the Tehran Branch of the
Intelligence Ministry, which claimed that Ms. Ali was guilty of the charges
against her, and found her to be a "criminal".
Such skewed findings by courts, influenced
by the conspiracy and security oriented perspective of Intellegence officials,
not only undermines and brings into question the independence of the court
system and judiciary, but threatens the concepts of democracy and respect for
human and civil rights. Additionally, failure to officially recognize civil
action, by viewing civil activists as "criminals" and forcing women’s rights
defenders to endure lashings or state sanctioned physical torture, is in fact
the most contradictory and most illegitimate aspect of the sentence issued in
the case of Delaram.
Prior to Delaram’s sentence other women’s
rights activists had been issued sentences in relation to the June 12th protest
in Hafte Tir Square, which demanded equal rights for women under the law, as
follows:
1) Fariba Davoodi Mohajer: Three years
suspended sentence and 1 year prison term;
2) Noushin Ahmadi Khorasan: Two years
suspended sentence and 6 months jail term;
3) Parvin Ardalan: Two years suspended
sentence and 6 months jail term;
4) Shahla Entesari: Two years suspended
sentence and 6 months jail term;
5) Sussan Tahmasebi: One year and 6 months
suspended sentence and 6 months jail term;
6) Azadeh Forghani: 2 years suspended
sentence; and
7) Bahareh Hedayat: 2 years suspended
sentence.
Sentences for Maryam Zia, Nasim Soltan
Beigi, and Alieh Eghdam doost, also defendants in the June 12, 2006 protest in
Hafte Tir Square have yet to be issued.
It should be noted that suspended
sentences are in fact subject to implementation if the defendant is found guilty
of any crime in the course of 5 years following the sentence. In this way, the
courts and intelligence ministry aim to isolate activists and make them inactive
in the social realm.
