Iran sentenced French-Iranian academic to 5-year imprisonment
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Iran has sentenced a 60-year-old French-Iranian academic to five years in prison over national security charges and allegations of propaganda against the state, her lawyer said on Saturday according to Middle East Eye.
“Condemned to five years in jail. This is outrageous. Fariba is innocent and only used as a pawn by Iran. Bring her home to France,” tweeted the campaign calling for anthropologist Fariba Adelkhah’s release. Supporters have warned that her health is fragile, making her vulnerable to Covid-19. The coronavirus pandemic has led to Iran temporarily releasing tens of thousands of prisoners.
According to Adelkhah’s lawyer, she was sentenced to five years in jail for “gathering and conspiring against national security,” as well as one year for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
“We have appealed and if accepted, the sentence will drop to five years,” lawyer Said Dehghan told the Reuters news agency.
Adelkhah is an expert on Shiite Islam and a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris.
Adelkhah was arrested last year along with her French colleague and partner, Roland Marchal. He was released as part of a prisoner swap deal in March.
In return for his freedom, France released Jallal Rohollahnejad, an Iranian engineer who faced extradition to the US for allegedly violating US sanctions. Washington at the time said it “deeply regrets” the move.
In recent years, Iranian security authorities have detained dozens of dual nationals on national security and spying charges.
