Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Judicial System has become the greatest opposition of Sharia and the Law, to such extent that the Judges blatantly disregard the rules of the judicial system by forcing the defendants’ lawyers to resign. In the case of Dr. Mohammad Ali Taheri, he is under extreme judicial pressure as threats are being made to him and his lawyer, in order to force the lawyer to resign from the case. This is an imposition on the independence of judiciary, and a calculated attempt for the Judge to assign a lawyer of his choice to the case of Dr. Taheri.
According to various reports by the sources of DorrTV Global News Channel, on 25th October 2017, Branch 33 of Iran’s Supreme Court, cancelled Dr. Taheri’s death sentence in accordance with Article 469(4)(b) of the Criminal Code of Procedure. On 28th October 2017, the case was forwarded to the Tehran Revolutionary Court, and received by the Referral Deputy of the Court on 7th November 2017. On 9th November 2017, the case was referred to Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Moghiseh. After reviewing the case, Judge Moghiseh agreed with the ruling of Iran’s Supreme Court and reached the verdict that Dr. Taheri must be released from section 2A of the Evin Prison, and can no longer be held in custody.
According to the same report, after Judge Moghiseh (Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court) gave his verdict on the release of Dr. Taheri, the case, was returned back to the Referral Deputy in an unprecedented manner. This is an absolute disregard for the laws of the country by officials of the Judicial System, who remain protected by Sarallah’s Revolutionary Guards Corps. While the case was still with the Referral Deputy, Dr. Taheri was summoned to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court by the agents of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, without the case being referred to or reviewed by the said court. The presiding judge of Branch 15, Judge Salavati received the case, as Dr. Taheri was being summoned to the Court.
The sources of DorrTV within Iran’s Judiciary reported that after Dr. Taheri was summoned to the Court, Judge Salavati (Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court) illegally ordered him to force a resignation upon all three of his lawyers. Dr. Taheri objected to this illegal imposition and refused to follow through this order for resignation under any circumstances, and he requested for the commencement of an official trial.
After the illegal order was not accepted by Dr. Taheri, Judge Salavati went a step further and directly threatened the lawyers of Dr. Taheri to resign.
With complete disregard for the procedural rules and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Judge Salavati directly threatened Ms. Zeinab Taheri, the lawyer of Dr. Mohammad Ali Taheri, with false cases being filed against her, imprisonment, ‘accidental’ death and even threats against the lives of her family members, in order to force her to resign and step down from the case.
Prior to this, Judge Salavati has previously threatened Ms. Zeinab Taheri, in the case of Dr. Ahmad-Reza Jalali, with similar threats of false cases being filed against her and even imprisonment if she did not resign. In the aforementioned case, according to the sources of DorrTV, Judge Salavati went so far as to send a report to the Ministry of Intelligence, against Ms. Zeinab Taheri, with alleged accusations of spying for Israel, and handling over ten espionage cases so far. However, the efforts and pressure by Judge Salavati did not convince the Ministry of Intelligence to file cases against Ms. Zeinab Taheri.
