Mahboubeh Ramezani Sentenced to 74 Lashes for Demanding Justice for Slain Protester Son

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Mahboubeh Ramezani, a mother seeking justice for her slain son, has been sentenced to 100 lashes.

Mahboubeh Ramezani was arrested at the home of Rahimeh Yousefzadeh, the mother of another slain protester, Navid Behboudi on July 11. As the arrests took place a day prior to the planned protest against forced hijab, there have been speculations that they may have been related.

Pejman Gholipour, Mahboubeh’s other son reported news of his mother’s sentence on Twitter: “That they arrested my mother a day before the campaign could be relevant and it seems they finally found the excuse they’ve been looking for.”

“The reality is that my mother’s crime is seeking justice. The biggest reason for their fear of her is that she shouts the truth. They fear her because she won’t put Pejman’s photo down for a minute,” he added.

Following the November 2019 nationwide protests which have become known as Bloody Aban (the 8th month in the Iranian calendar when the protests took place), family members of protesters killed by security forces started speaking out and demanding justice. The mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other relatives who have demanded justice have faced reprisal including imprisonment, harassment and coercive pressure. Those listed are by no means all the Aban families but a representation of a fraction of the reprisals faced by the families seeking justice. Testimonies from more Aban families were heard at the International People’s Tribunal on Iran’s Atrocities of November 2019, known as Aban Tribunal in November 2021. The pressure and harassment increased after the Tribunal and authorities cracked down as the families prepared to mourn their loved ones on the anniversary in November.