This 25-Year-Old Woman Has Been Jailed For A Year For A Bafflingly Ludicrous Reason
A British-Iranian Activist, she is paying the price for doing something so inconsequential that, no matter what, you cannot make sense of it.
By Sadho Ram — 03 Nov 2014, 04:23 AM — Updated about 10 years ago
Her name is Ghoncheh Ghavami. She was detained on 20 June before being released and then was once again detained on 30 June. Why? Because she was trying to attend a men's volleyball match between Iran and Italy at a Tehran's Freedom Stadium.
Iranian-British Ghoncheh Ghavami was detained while trying to attend a men's volleyball game
Image via AP Photo/Free Ghoncheh CampaignSince her detention, Ghavami has been held in solitary confinement at Tehran's Evin prison, according to Amnesty, which has criticized her detention. She began a hunger strike earlier this month over her detention, Amnesty says.
You see, in Iran, women are banned from attending male-only matches, and Ghavami, she not only tried to attend the match, she made the attempt with several other women to protest the ban. Now that tantamount to anarchy, right? How could she?
Iran's Adel Gholami (C) smashes the ball at Japan's defenders during the men's volleyball final match for the 17th Asian Games between Japan and Iran at the Songnim Gymnasium in Incheon on 3 October 2014.
Image via cbsistatic.comSo to teach this insolent woman a lesson, who seemed to have forgotten her place in this society, ruled and governed by men, where her species has no place whatsoever, the high and mighty of Iran government reportedly sentenced her to a year in prison
Free Ghoncheh Ghavami غنچه قوامی را ازاد کنید, a popular Facebook community page supporting her freedom, posted a statement after the verdict. It reads:
"Ghoncheh has been in temporary detention for the past 126 days and her temporary detention expired 6 days ago and it is not clear to her family and lawyer as to what the current legal basis of her detention is. A fair and just legal process according to Iran's legal framework is the basic right of every Iranian citizen. Why are these rights not upheld in Ghoncheh's case."
facebook.com
A court reportedly found Ghavami guilty of spreading anti-regime propaganda. According to her lawyer Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, who told The AP, the court declared that the British-Iranian activist was "propagating against the ruling system."
A protester holds up a picture of Ghoncheh Ghavami as Iran’s President Dr. Hassan Rouhani, left, speaks with moderator Fareed Zakaria at New America, a public policy institute and think tank in New York on Wednesday.
Image via AP Photo/Bebeto MatthewsResponding to the reports, Amnesty International’s UK Director Kate Allen said the verdict was "appalling". "It's an outrage that a young woman is being locked up simply for peacefully having her say about how women are discriminated against in Iran. Ghoncheh is a prisoner of conscience and the Iranian authorities should quash the sentence and release her immediately and unconditionally."
independent.co.uk"The authorities should also investigate allegations that Ghoncheh was subjected to death threats by her interrogators and provide compensation for her arbitrary detention and her prolonged solitary confinement."
independent.co.ukWhile Britain's Foreign Office is concerned about her sentencing and Amnesty International, with more than 700,000 people having signed an online petition, has called for her immediate release, for Iran she is a criminal deserving to be thrown behind the bars
Speaking to the Guardian, Ghavami’s brother Iman, 28, said the family was “shattered” by the court verdict. “We are really disappointed because we felt she would get out on bail immediately. She’s been through a lot and now it’s a full year sentence and she’s already served four months,” he said.
theguardian.com
No reason was given for the conviction though Ghavami had been accused of spreading propaganda against the regime, a broad charge often used by Iran’s judiciary. Ghavami’s parents, who have been based in Tehran throughout their daughter’s ordeal, were too distressed to talk after Saturday’s court hearing - which they were not allowed to attend.
theguardian.com
“I found out the verdict from the lawyer. My parents were with him but were too emotional to talk. As we speak my parents are scrambling from one office to another to see if we can get leniency or bail.”
theguardian.com