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Iranwire – A court in the Islamic Republic has declined the parole request of four incarcerated environmental activists, their lawyer said.
Lawyer Hojjat Kermani, representing Homan Jokar, Sepideh Kashani, Niloofar Bayani, and Taher Qadirian, said the request was rejected within a day.
Commenting on the decision, Kermani said, “After years of waiting, the case had finally reached court for parole consideration.”
He criticized the judiciary’s action, highlighting that prison authorities had confirmed the good behavior of these activists throughout their six-year imprisonment.
Additionally, more than three years have passed since the four inmates became eligible for parole, having served one-third of their sentences.
“Despite these factors,” Kermani said, “the 36th branch of the Tehran Court of Appeals disregarded all this information.”
“They based their decision solely on the type of crime committed, claiming the prisoners’ behavior does not guarantee they won’t re-offend upon release,” he added.
Homan Jokar, Sepideh Kashani, Niloofar Bayani, and Taher Qadirian are among several environmental activists arrested in January 2018. They have remained in Tehran’s Evin Prison ever since.
The activists recently wrote a letter to the head of the judiciary protesting the denial of their parole requests.
Furthermore, Niloofar Bayani and Sepideh Kashani have written letters revealing they were subjected to “severe mental and emotional torture, threats of physical and sexual assault,” and even “death threats” during their detention.
