Iranian Political Activist Sepehri Sentenced To 18 Years

An Iranian political activist who signed a letter in 2019 calling for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison, her brother says.

Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in the northeastern city of Mashhad sentenced Fatemeh Sepehri on charges including “propaganda against the regime,” “cooperating with hostile countries” and “insulting” Khamenei and his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini, the activist’s brother Asghar tweeted on February 21.

Sepehri was arrested in Mashhad on September 12. She is one of the 14 signatories of the letter requesting Khamenei’s resignation, the abolition of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of a secular government.

Her sentencing comes amid a brutal crackdown on five months of nationwide protests, the biggest threat to Iran's clerical regime in decades.

Activists say security forces have killed more than 520 people and unlawfully detained over 19,000 in connection with the demonstrations. Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters.