Eight Teachers’ Union Activists Sent to Prison for a Total of 37 Years

The 37th branch of the Court of Appeal in Fars province has issued a verdict sentencing eight teachers' union activists to a collective prison term of 37 years, accompanied by additional punitive measures.

This ruling, disclosed to the board members of the Fars Teachers' Association, not only encompasses prison sentences but also includes restrictions on their use of social media, limitations on international travel, and the revocation of their passports. 

One individual within the group has been condemned to five years of exile in Birjand city in South Khorasan province.

Four trade union members, including activists Afshin Razmjoui, Iraj Rahnama, Asghar Amirzadegan, as well as Mohammed Ali Zahmatkesh, each received a five-year prison term.  In addition to imprisonment, they face restrictions on their online activities and international travel, while their passports have been revoked for a duration of two years.

Mojgan Bagheri, another member of the association, has been sentenced to two years in prison.  Like her fellow activists, she is prohibited from engaging in online activities and international travel, with her passport revoked for two years.

Zahra Esfandiari and Abdulrazzaq Amiri, both members of the board of directors of the association, have been individually sentenced to "two years of imprisonment under electronic surveillance with a confinement radius of one thousand meters from their residences." 

They are also subject to a two-year ban on international travel due to passport revocation, along with a two-year prohibition from online activities.

Gholamreza Gholami, another board member who faced three charges, received a five-year prison term on a charge of “assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against the security of the country by participating in calls against the Islamic Republic of Iran." 

Like his peers, he is prohibited from online activities and international travel, with his passport revoked for two years. 

Additionally, for the charge of "membership in anti-system groups," he was handed a five-year prison sentence, coupled with a two-year mandatory residence in Birjand city. 

For the charge of "propaganda activity against the system," he received a one-year prison sentence.

The Fars Teachers' Association released a statement in response, highlighting the timing of these arrests on International Teacher's Day and calling for accountability from the security institutions, the arresting authority, and the governor regarding this incident.