Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); January 8, 2022: Human rights defender, Zara Mohammadi's request for a judicial review has been rejected by the Supreme Court and her five-year sentence upheld and sent for implementation.
UPDATE: Zara Mohammadi surrendered to serve her five-year sentence at Sanandaj Prison on January 8.
According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Kurdish language teacher, Zara Mohammadi’s request for a judicial review on her five-year sentence which was previously upheld by Branch Four of the Sanandaj Court of Appeals, has been rejected and her case sent for implementation.
Zara’s sister, Kani Mohammadi told Iran Human Rights: “On 28 December 2021, Zara was informed via text that she has until January 8 to surrender herself to prison to start serving her five-year sentence. Hosseini, the Sanandaj Prosecutor rejected and removed the Article 477 request from Zara’s case file without providing any reason.”
Article 477 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which relates to judicial reviews states: “Should the Head of Judiciary find any decisions made by judicial authorities contrary to Sharia, he shall request a retrial and send the case to the Supreme Court for consideration and a final decision at a special branch assigned by the Head of Judiciary. Should the aforementioned special branches find any contraventions with Sharia, the former decision will be void and they shall reconsider the case both in form and substance, and issue an appropriate decision.”
Zara Mohammadi is a member of the Nojin Cultural Association, teaching Kurdish language and culture. She was arrested with two other members of the Association on 23 May 2019 and while they were released days later, she was detained for over six months. She later said that she had been under duress to make false televised confessions that she was co-operating with Kurdish opposition groups, which she refused to do and was denied access to a lawyer. She was released on bail on 2 December 2019.
On 12 July 2020, she was summoned to Branch One of the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj and sentenced to ten years imprisonment for “forming a group against national security.”
Zara received a text on 13 February 2021 informing her that Branch Four of the Provincial Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Mostafa Tayari, had upheld a five-year prison sentence in her case. Her lawyers were served with the verdict later.