Jailed Activist Qoliyan Refuses to Appear in Court to Answer Complaint

Well-known civil rights activist Sepideh Qoliyan, who is currently serving a two-year prison sentence for "insulting" the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, says she won’t respond to a summons to answer a complaint filed by a state TV employee.

The judiciary summoned Qoliyan to appear at the Kachoi Judicial Complex in Tehran on July 19 to answer a complaint filed by Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour.

The activist is accused of "spreading lies in cyberspace" and engaging in "propaganda activity against the Islamic Republic in cyberspace." 

"The news triggered a mix of anger and laughter. They are calling for another trial on charges that were already dealt with by Branch 24 of the Revolutionary Court," she wrote on Twitter. 

"In my opinion, the judicial system of the Islamic Republic, an institution that swiftly sentences people to death within minutes and executes the verdict within days, lacks jurisdiction and legitimacy. Therefore, I won’t go to this peculiar court," Qoliyan added.

Qoliyan was initially detained during a workers’ strike in November 2018 and later sentenced to 19 years and six months in prison. The sentence was reduced to five years on appeal. 

The activist was released on March 15 after being granted “amnesty” but was soon re-arrested after shouting outside Tehran’s Evin prison, “Khamenei the Zahhak! We'll take you down into the grave." She referred to a mythical king said to have fed serpents growing out of his shoulders with young people’s brains. In May, Qoliyan was sentenced to two years imprisonment for “insulting” Supreme Leader Ali Khameni.

The activist was forced into confessing during her detention in 2018 and, following her release from prison, she described the role played by Zabihpour.

"Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour was present in the interrogation room. After hours of physical and mental torture, she prepared a pre-written text for me to read in front of the camera," Qoliyan said.

She filed a complaint against Zabihpour, but the judicial system of the Islamic Republic swiftly closed the case.