Amnesty International called for the release of Ali Younesi, a detained student at Sharif University of Technology, and Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist imprisoned in Evin Prison.
According to the Campaign for the Defense of Political and Civil Prisoners, Amnesty International has called on Iranian government officials to immediately and unconditionally release Ali Younesi, a detained student at Sharif University of Technology, and Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist protesting the Islamic hijab (veiling) imprisoned in Evin Prison.
“The Iranian authorities must immediately release Ali Younesi and all those detained solely for or on the charges of having family links to members of dissident groups,” this international organization said in a statement.
Amnesty International also referred to the physical condition of Saba Kord Afshari and the deterioration of her digestive problems during her detention, stressing:” Release her immediately and unconditionally and ensure her access to appropriate medical services until her release.”
“Ali Younesi” and “Amir Hossein Moradi”, two elite students of Shaif University of Technology, were arrested on Friday, April 10, 2020, by plainclothes forces, without a warrant and with beatings.
Ali Younesi is the winner of the silver medal of the 2016 Astronomy Olympiad and the gold medal of Astronomy Olympiad in 2017 and Amir Hossein Moradi is the winner of the silver medal of the national Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad of 2016. Ali Younesi also won a gold medal at the 12th World Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in China.
Earlier, Human Rights Watch called on Iranian authorities to immediately release two students from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Ali Younesi and Amir Hossein Moradi, who had been held in solitary confinement for about 2 months, unless they can charge these two with a specific offense, or guarantee their full fair trial by clarifying their charges.
Amnesty International, based in London, also issued a statement calling for the unconditional release of jailed student Ali Younesi.
Amnesty International had said: “Mr. Younesi, along with another student arrested the same day, had been openly accused of having links to “counter-Revolutionary” groups and possessing “explosives” in their homes, which this action violates the two prisoners’ right to be acquitted before their guilt is proven and raises serious concerns about their health. These two prisoners are at risk of torture or other ill-treatments.
Saba Kord Afshari, a civil activist was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Iman Afshari, to 15 years in prison on charges of “encouraging corruption and prostitution”, to 7 years and 6 months in prison on charges of “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security”, and to 1 year and 6 months imprisonment on charges of “propaganda activities against the state.”
Saba Kord Afshari was arrested on Saturday, June 1, last year (2019), at her father’s house and transferred to the Vozara detention center. After 11 days of interrogation and pressure to make a televised confession, she was transferred to Qarchak Prison in Varamin (southeast of Tehran) on Tuesday, June 11th.
It is worth mentioning that the initial accusations against Saba Kord Afshari were “propaganda against the state through an opposition group and a soft overthrow plan”, “spreading corruption and prostitution and walking without hijab”, “assembly and collision and propaganda activities through contact with Masih Alinejad and HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency.”
Prior to her arrest, Saba Kord Afshari worked on human rights issues such as anonymous political prisoners, religious minorities and women.
She had previously been arrested on August, 2, 2018, during the people’s protests against the wave of high prices. She was sentenced to 1 year in prison during this detention and was released from prison on February 14, 2019, during the wave of early release of political prisoners, without requesting amnesty.