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(20 May 2010) The continuing sentencing of activists to long prison terms by the Iranian Judiciary, in politically-motivated trials and based on unfounded charges, should be immediately halted and all the rulings should be reviewed by an independent and impartial committee, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

Bahareh Hedayat and Milad Asadi, both distinguished student activists, were sentenced to prison terms of nine-and-a-half and seven years, respectively, by Judge Moghisseh. The Campaign demanded an investigation of their trials and the suspension of presiding Judge Moghisseh.

“These obviously politically-motivated sentences are, unfortunately, consistent with Judge Moghisseh’s record of rulings against activists arrested in the past year, rulings that have completely ignored defense motions and facts in order to impose pre-determined outcomes designed to repress dissent,” stated Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.

“It is the responsibility of the Judiciary to take corrective action, to reverse baseless and illegal rulings, restore falsely convicted citizens to freedom, and discipline the Judge,” he added.

Iranian authorities such as Mohammad Javad Larijani, Head of the Iranian Delegation to the Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva (February 2010), have stated that no one is imprisoned in the Islamic Republic of Iran for his or her beliefs and opinions. The two recent sentences, like most is... >>>