Mahsa Yazdani beside a photo of her son Mohammad Javad Zahedi, one of the victims of Women, Life, Freedom movement

Mother Of Slain Protester Stands Firm In Face Of 13-Year Sentence

Tuesday, 11/21/2023

The mother of Mohammad Javad Zahedi, a victim of last year's protests, declared "I have stood for my Mohammad until the end," after being sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Zahedi, 20, lost his life on September 21, 2022, during the nationwide uprising when forces of the Islamic Republic opened fire in Sari, located in the north of Iran.

His mother Mahsa Yazdani had previously been sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Sari. The charges against her included "insulting sanctities, inciting people to disrupt national security, insulting the leadership, and engaging in propaganda against the system."

The appeals court in Mazandaran Province affirmed the verdict on Monday, indicating that the most severe part of the punishment, a five-year imprisonment term, will be enforced.

Yazdani was arrested by security forces in Sari on August 22 and was released from prison on October 6 after posting bail.

During the uprising, well over 500 protesters lost their lives as security forces brutally suppressed the masses, and thousands were rounded up and imprisoned.

Amnesty International recently disclosed a document revealing that the commander overseeing suppression in Mazandaran province had issued orders for "ruthless and deadly force" against protesters in all major and minor cities of the province.

The families of those who lost their lives in the uprising have faced numerous pressures since the beginning of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran from travel bans to jail terms.


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