19th August 2024 - Five female activists from Gilan Province, located in northern Iran along the Caspian Sea, have been sentenced to a total of 20 years and 7 months in prison by the Iranian judiciary.
The activists—(L-R) Nina Golestani, Negin Edalatkhah, Anahita Hejazi, Rozita Rajaei, and Anahita Doostdar —were involved in media and environmental activities. Each of these women was sentenced by the Third Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht, the provincial capital of Gilan.
They were found guilty of “assembly and collusion” and “propaganda against the state” and sentenced to 4 years and 1 month, each. This case highlights the ongoing crackdown on civil and human rights activists in Iran, particularly in Gilan Province. The arrests and subsequent convictions are part of a broader pattern of increasing repression against those who exercise basic rights such as freedom of expression, assembly, and association, with a notable impact on women’s rights.
