Iran: Woman's Rights Activist To Serve Three Year Prison Sentence

Alieh Eghdam Doust To Serve Three Year Prison Term

Change for Equality: Alieh Eghdamdoust who had been sentenced to three years of mandatory prison as a result of her participation in the June 12, 2006 protest in Hafte Tir Square was transferred today under guard supervision to the Office of Implementation of Sentences at the Revolutionary Courts. Alieh Eghdamdoust, a woman's rights defender, was arrested during the protest objecting to discriminatory laws against women in Hafte Tir Square in June 12 2006, and spent a week in prison. She was sentenced by the 15th security branch of the Revolutionary Courts to three years and four months mandatory prison sentence and 20 lashes. The appeals courts upheld three years of the mandatory prison sentence, reducing her original sentence by four months and 20 lashes.

According to Nasim Ghanavi one of the lawyers in this case, Eghdamdoust contacted her by telephone to inform her that agents had come to her home in Fouman city (Northern Iran) to transfer her to the Revolutionary Courts, office of Implementation of Sentences, so that she could begin serving her three year prison term. Ghanavi visited with her client Eghdamdoust in the Revolutionary Court today.

According to Ghanavi, the only option left for Eghdamdoust is to request a judicial review which is allowable through amendment 18 of the Law Regulating Public and Revolutionary Courts.