Iran Sentences Political Prisoner To Additional 15 Months

Shakila Monfared, a political prisoner held in Iran's Evin Prison, has been handed an additional 15-month term along with supplementary penalties.

The sentence, issued last December in absentia on charges of "propaganda against the system," was recently upheld after her appeal was rejected. Monfared was informed of the finalized verdict while in Evin Prison.

Monfared's brother Ashkan, a political activist living in exile, revealed that the new charge was levied against her after he made a call to inquire about her health while she was hospitalized. Subsequently, she was accused of "connection with anti-regime elements."

Monfared was first arrested in August 2020 and was then taken to a detention facility under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran. In January 2022, Monfared was handed a six-year prison sentence and four months of probation work for "propaganda activities against the regime" and "insulting the sanctities of Islam."

In another legal case, she was sentenced in January 2022 to two years and eight months in prison, along with a fine of 100 million rials (approximately 180 USD), on charges of "membership in anti-regime groups" and "spreading lies."

Yet another case was initiated in June, accusing her of "conspiracy and collusion to commit crimes against national security."