Iranian of the Day

sign4change.info, we-change.org: Mahboubeh Karami, Campaign and Human Rights activist was sentenced to three years in prison by Branch 54 of the appellate court of the Revolutionary Courts on February 2, 2011. The sentence issued by Judge Movahed was served to Mohammad Sharif the lawyer representing Mahboubeh Karami. Prior to the appeals hearing, Karami was sentenced to four years in prison, by Judge Pirabbasi. Karami was charged with membership in a human rights organization and spreading of propaganda against the state and gathering and collusion with the intent of harming national security.

Karami who is an activist in the Campaign was arrested on March 2, 2010 after security officers stormed her home and searched and seized property. The court order to search her property had been issued 6 days prior and in relation to her alleged participation in protests following the disputed results of the presidential elections. According to Mohsen Karami, Mahboubeh’s brother, Mahboubeh had not participated in any protests, as she was the sole caretaker of her ill father. Karami was released after spending 170 days in temporary detention on August 18, 2010 on a bail order in the amount of 500 Million Tomans (roughly $500,000). Prior to this arrest, Mahboubeh had been arrested on five other occasions. She had been acquitted in relation to charges brought against her in all five cases.

Mahboubeh Karami began serving her three-year prison term in May 2011. The resident physician at Evin prison has warned that Karami is at risk of falling into a coma due to anemia. Following this prognosis, Karami’s family has sent medication to her in prison and she has filed a request for a health leave. The Evin prison physician has determined that in order to be treated, Karami must undergo medical examinations outside the prison. Yet despite the doctor’s directions she has not been transferred out of Evin for such examinations. It appears that adverse prison conditions, including poor nutrition, are the cause of Karami’s illness, as she has not suffered from these health problems before.

Interview with her brother from a year ago in which he talks about her case and trial: