RAHANA- This article contains the names and sentences of 25 female political prisoners confined in Evin prison in Tehran. Out of the 25 female political prisoners detained in Evin prison, Mahboubeh Karami, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Kobra Zaghedoost, Farah Vazeham and Fatemeh Khorramjoo are in prison limbo, while the rest have received heavy sentences.

According to RAHANA’s reporter, there are also more female political detainees confined in harsh conditions inside solitary cells and other wards of Evin prison. Zahra Jabbari, an Iranian-Dutch citizen is one of those prisoners who has been detained in ward 209 of Evin prison since Ashura street protests of 27 December 2009.

The list of female political prisoners and their sentences is as follows.

Nazila Dashti, 3 years

Nazila Dashti was arrested in May 2007. She has been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on charges of having ties with the MKO, and is currently confined in Evin prison.

Rashin (Ozra) Ghazi Mirsaeed, 2 years

Rashin (Ozra) Ghazi Mirsaeed is a citizen who was arrested on 20 June 2009 during street protests held against the disputed presidential election. She was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison by the lower court, but the court of appeals later reduced her sentence to 2 years in prison.

Mahboubeh Karami, Undecided

Mahboubeh Karami, a women’s rights activist and member of the One Million Signatures Campaign, has been detained since 3 March 2010. She suffers from various physical problems and depression which requires her to be transferred to medical centers and be hospitalized, but the judges and interrogators of her case abstain from setting bail for her release. Mahboubeh has spent most of her detention in solitary cells of ward 2-A in women’s section of Evin prison under intense mental pressures to give interviews and make televised confessions.

Bahareh Hedayat, 9.5 years

Prominent student activist Bahareh Hedayat was arrested on 1 January 2010. Branch 28 of the revolutionary court presided over by Judge Moghiseh has ruled out a total of 9.5-year sentence for her; 6 years in prison on charge of insulting the president, 2 years for insulting the Leader, and a total of 5 years for propaganda against the system, act against national security through collusion and conspiracy. Also, her previously suspended 2 years imprisonment on charge of acting against national security for holding the demonstration of 12 June 2006 (women’s demonstration) has been enforced and added to this sentence.

Motahhareh Bahrami Haghighi, 10 years

Motahhareh Bahrami Haghighi was arrested on 27 December 2009 during Ashura protests along with her husband and son Mohsen and Ahamd Daneshpour Moghaddam. The lower court had sentenced her to execution on charge of Moharebeh (enmity with God), but the court of appeals reduced her sentence to 10 years imprisonment plus exile to Rajaei Shahr prison near Karaj.

Reyhaneh Haj-Ebrahim Dabbagh, 15 Years

Reyhaneh Haj-Ebrahim Dabbagh was arrested on 27 December 2009 together with Motahhareh Bahrami, Mohsen Daneshour Moghaddam and Ahmad Daneshpour Moghaddam at their house. She was initially sentenced to execution, but her sentence was reduced by the court of appeals to 15 years imprisonment plus exile to Rajaei Shahr prison.

Maryam Akbari Monfared, 15 Years

Maryam Akbari Monfared, a housewife with 3 young children, was arrested at her house on 1 January 2010 after Ashura protests, and her trial was held on 6 May 2010. She has been confined on charge of Moharebeh (enmity with God) for having ties with a dissident organization, a charge that she has repeatedly rejected.

Fatemeh Ziaei Azad, 2 years

Fatemeh Ziaei Azad is a post-election detainee who has been sentenced to 2 years in prison. No more information is available on her status.

Hengameh Shahidi, 6 years

Hengameh Shahidi, a journalist, member and avisor to the Secretary General of Etemade-Melli Party (Mehdi Karroubi’s reformist party), was arrested on 25 February 2010 after being summoned to the follow-up office of Ministry of Intelligence to start serving her 6-year prison term. She had been previously released on 1 November 2009 on $90,000 bail after almost 4 months of detention in Evin prison. She is currently confined despite suffering from some physical distress.

Hengameh Shahidi was initially sentenced to 1 year in prison on charge of propaganda against the system, five years on charges of collusion and acting against national security, and 91 days on charge on insulting the president. But the court of appeals reduced this sentence to 6 years in prison.

Mahdieh Golrou, 3 years and 4 months

Mahdieh Golrou, student activist and member of the Advocacy Council for the Right to Education, was arrested on 3 November 2009. Her trial was held on Sunday 4 April 2010 at branch 26 of the revolutionary court presided by Judge Pir-Abbasi, and she was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison. The judge had initially set a bail of $700,000 for her release, but her family were not able to submit that amount and she had to remain confined in Evin prison.  During this time, her previously suspended 1-year prison sentence has been also enforced, so she is currently serving a total of 3 year and 4 months in prison despite being severely ill.

Alieh Eghdamdoost, 3 years

Alieh Eghdamdoost, an elderly lady in her sixties, is women’s rights activist who was transferred to Evin on 30 January 2009 to start serving her 3-year prison sentence. Previously she had been arrested for attending the women’s demonstration on 12 June 2006, and is currently confined in Evin despite being over 60.

Kobra Zaghedoost, 1 year in prison limbo

Kobra Zaghedoost was arrested at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran while attending the 40th day ceremony of post-election martyrs. She has been detained in prison limbo for almost one year and her file has not been investigated or heard at the court.

Zahra Jabbari, 4 years

Zahra Jabbari was arrested on 18 September 2009 during the Qods day protests. She was confined in prison limbo for almost 7 months and deprived of prison visit with her child despite being ill. Her trial was held on 6 May 2010 and branch 28 of the revolutionary court sentenced her to 4 years in prison. Prior to the trial, her lawyer had claimed there is nothing on her file that would make her be convicted.

Kefayat Malek Mohammadi, 5 years

Kefayat Malek Mohammadi was arrested with her husband during Ashura protests on 27 December 2009. She is currently detained in ward 350 of Evin prison and the lower court has sentenced her to 5 years imprisonment on charge of collaboration with the MKO.

Fatemeh Rahnama, 10 years

Fatemeh Rahnama was arrested on 29 July 2010. In a scenario made up by the pro-government media, Fatemeh Rahnama was named as the “mistress” of Shapour Kazemi (Mrs. Rahnavard’s brother) and a member of the MKO with a history of 8 years in prison. She has been sentenced to 10 years in prison despite having denied all these charges.

Fatemeh Rahnama, 48, suffers from severe depression and breast cancer, and her severe physical and mental condition has raised a lot of sorrow and sympathy from her inmates.

Farah Vazeham, Undecided

Farah Vazeham was arrested on 29 December 2009, two days after Ashura protests, and is being held in prison limbo after almost 7 months of detention.

Masoumeh Yavari, 7 years

Masoumeh Yavari was arrested on 18 September 2009 on her way from Golpayegan to Tehran to attend the Qods day demonstration. Masoumeh Yavari, a housewife with no history of political activity, has been accused of having ties with the MKO and the representative of Tehran’s prosecutor had requested the death penalty for her, but the court sentenced her to 7 years in prison.

Shabnam Madadzadeh, 5 years

Shabnam Madadzadeh, vice president of Tehran council in Tahkime-e Vahdat student organization and political secretary of Tarbiat Moalem University, was arrested on 21 February 2009. Her court hearing was delayed a number of times and finally, she was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment plus exile to Rajaei Shahr prison on charges of Moharebeh (enmity with God) and acting against national security.

Shiva Nazar Ahari, Undecided

Shiva Nazar Ahari, human rights and women’s rights activist, was arrested on 20 December 2009 for the second time during the past year and transferred to solitary confinement in Evin ward 209. Despite being detained for almost 8 months, her court hearing has not been held and she has been confined in prison limbo.

Fatemeh Khorramjoo, Undecided

Fatemeh Khorramjoo was arrested on 7 January 2010. She has been detained for 7 months in prison limbo and has been accused of collaboration with foreigners.

Parvin Javadzadeh, 8.5 years

Parvin Javadzadeh, 22, is one of the youngest female political prisoners in the women ward of Evin prison. She was arrested on 27 December 2009 (Ashura) by IRGC forces while crossing the street, and spent the first three months of her detention in complete solitary inside IRGC intelligence detention, thus suffering from severe mental and physical problems. Javadzadeh was a blogger who used to publish news related to the people protests and green movement to her personal weblog. She was initially charged with Moharebeh, but the court acquitted her of this charge and finally sentenced her to 8.5 years in prison.

Soosan Tabyanian, 1.5 years

Soosan Tabyanian is a Baha’i citizen who has been sentenced to 1.5 years in prison. She started serving her prison sentence on 7 June 2010.

Manijeh Nasrollahi, 3 years and 4 months

Manijeh Nasrollahi is a Baha’i citizen currently serving her 3 year and 4 months of imprisonment in the women’s ward of Evin. She was previously arrested on 17 June 2009 and released 2 weeks later, then arrested again on 27 February 2010 to start serving her prison term in Evin.

Sahba Rezvani, 3 years

Sahba Rezvani is a Baha’i citizen who was arrested on 16 December 2008 and sentenced to 3 years and 8 months imprisonment. She was initially detained in the prison of Sari, but later transferred to Evin prison in Tehran.

Atepheh Nabavi, 4 years

Atepheh Nabavi, a student deprived of continuing her education, was arrested on 15 June 2009 together with her cousin Ziaeddin Nabavi, a member of the Advocacy Council for the Right to Education, and transferred to Evin ward 209. She was confined in ward 209 for 3 months and later sentenced to 4 years in prison.

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