Enlarge image

Protests in Iran: Amini's uncle in prison for taking part in demonstrations

Photo: UGC / AFP

The uncle of Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison, according to activists in Iran. A revolutionary court in the northwestern city of Sakes handed down the punishment to Safa Aeli for expressing anti-government views during the 2022 protests, human rights groups Hengaw and Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Tuesday.

The allegations against the 30-year-old included taking part in demonstrations that disrupted internal security, spreading anti-government propaganda and insulting Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Part of the sentence has been suspended, HRANA said, citing the family's lawyer. The 30-year-old had to go to prison for a total of three years and six months.

Further sanctions with highly unusual demands

He was also punished with additional sanctions, including a highly unusual requirement: Aeli should provide a written document describing the biography of a member of the security forces killed during the protests and present his "own personal interpretation" to judicial authorities, the » Guardian," citing Hengaw.

Aeli was then instructed to post a voice message about the document on his social media accounts. He was banned from making any further statements about the protests.

Aeli is the uncle of Amini, who died in September 2022 after being arrested for allegedly wearing a headscarf that was too loose. According to her family, the 22-year-old died after being mistreated by the moral police. The Iranian authorities reject this.

Amini's death sparked an unprecedented protest movement under the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom," which the Iranian security forces cracked down on. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, hundreds of people died and there were 22,000 arrests. Aeli was arrested in September 2023, shortly before the first anniversary of his niece's death. He was released on bail in October, according to HRANA.

According to human rights groups, nine people have already been executed in connection with the protests. Dozens of security force members were killed, according to Iranian authorities.

eru/AFP