Faridé Moradjani, niece of Iran’s supreme leader, was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after calling on the international community to sever all ties with the country’s authorities as punishment for the crackdown on protests against the death in custody of young Mahsa Amini for allegedly wearing the Islamic headscarf incorrectly.
The sentence was announced by the lawyer of Ali Khamenei’s niece, Mohamed Hosein Aghasi, in a message published on his Twitter account and reported by the Iran Wire portal.
In his statement, the lawyer denounces that Muradjani was tried in a special religious court, without jurisdiction over the case, and that she was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison, finally reduced to three thanks to an express appeal.
Khamenei’s niece was arrested on November 23 after recording a video in which she called on «freedom-loving» governments to expel Iranian ambassadors in support of the anti-government protest movement that has rocked Iran.
Moradjani’s mother and sister of Supreme Leader Badri Hoseini Khamenei published an open letter on December 6 criticizing her brother and his «authoritarian caliphate.»
The security forces’ brutal crackdown on demonstrations has killed more than 440 people, including dozens of children, according to human rights groups. At least 18,000 people have reportedly been detained.
