In a shocking and unjust move, an Iranian court has sentenced Mahsa Yazdani, a mother whose son was killed by security forces during protests last year, to 13 years in prison. Yazdani was convicted on charges of blasphemy, incitement, insulting the supreme leader, and spreading anti-regime propaganda, after she publicly condemned the regime’s attacks on protesters and called for justice for her son.
Yazdani’s son, Mohammad Javad Zahedi, was shot several times at close range in the back and head during protests in September 2022. Videos and photos of his body riddled with shotgun pellets went viral on social media, sparking outrage and anger across the country.
After her son’s death, Yazdani bravely spoke out against the regime and its brutal crackdown on protesters. She shared her story with the media and called for justice for her son and others killed in the demonstrations.
Her activism did not go unnoticed by the authorities. In August 2023, she was arrested at her home and charged with a slew of offences. Her trial was swift and unfair, and she was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with the first five years to be served without parole.
Yazdani’s sentencing is a stark reminder of the Iranian regime’s intolerance of dissent and its willingness to persecute even those who have lost loved ones at the hands of its security forces. It is also a clear message to other families of victims of the regime’s repression that they will be punished if they speak out.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran has strongly condemned Yazdani’s sentencing, calling it “disgraceful”. It has also pointed out that hundreds of mothers in Iran have been blocked from pursuing justice for their murdered loved ones while themselves being persecuted for simply raising their voices.
Yazdani’s sentencing comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent in Iran. The regime has been cracking down on protesters, journalists, human rights activists, and anyone else who dares to speak out against it.
In recent months, there have been a number of other cases of mothers being persecuted for seeking justice for their sons killed by security forces. For example, the father and sister of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a 17-year-old shot dead by security forces, were charged with “anti-government propaganda” in May 2023.
The international community must speak out against Yazdani’s sentencing and the Iranian regime’s persecution of families of victims of repression. The Iranian people have a right to justice and to live free from fear of persecution.
