Iran’s Criminal Court sentenced three political prisoners to a total of 150 lashes and nine months of prison in Urmia, northwestern Iran.

According to the Human Rights News Agency, the three men were identified as Nayeb Hajizadeh Yongjeh, Keyhan Mokaram Anbi, and Nayeb Askari. The three were charged with “causing disorder in prison” and sentenced to three months of prison and 50 lashes each for protesting the beating of Nayeb Hajizadeh Yongjeh by non-political prisoners.

They were initially put on trial on July 12 by the Branch 1 Court in Urmia.

Nayeb Hajizadeh Yongjeh was detained by security forces on August 7, 2019, for being a member of an opposition group, and sentenced to 10 years and on day of prison, which was later reduced to 7 years and six months.

Keyhan Mokaram Anbi was detained on January 12, 2020, for being a member of an opposition group. He was sentenced to five years of prison.

Nayeb Askari was detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in March and charged with cooperation with a party that is in opposition to the state.

Iran’s use of degrading punishments and torture

The Iranian regime is one of the few states that still uses degrading punishments, even though all international civil and political rights conventions have prohibited the use of inhumane punishments such as execution and flogging.

Flogging is regularly handed out by the regime to its political opponents including protesters, and dissidents.

More than 100 “offenses” are punishable by flogging under Iranian law. The offenses include theft, assault, vandalism, defamation, extramarital relationships, and fraud. They also cover acts that should not be criminalized, such as adultery, intimate relationships between unmarried men and women, “breach of public morals” and consensual same-sex sexual relations.

Source » irannewswire