Tehran

Iran has jailed the lawyer of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman whose death sparked massive anti-regime and anti-hijab protests.

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Saleh Nikbakht, the attorney representing Amini's family, was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of "propaganda activities against the system", Iran International outlet reported on Tuesday (Oct 17).

The trial began in August during which Nikbakht was accused of "having spoken to foreign and local media about the Mahsa Amini case".

Notably, Nikbakht raised doubts about the forensic report which had attributed Amini's death to a "heart attack" and an "underlying disease". He wanted a reinvestigation by a committee of independent medical professionals.

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The prosecution presented nine interviews conducted by Nikbakht between 2019 and 2023 as "evidence" against him, where he discussed controversial topics such as the confrontations between security forces and Afghans.

Lawyer jailed for controversial interviews 

"My client Saleh Nikbakht has unfortunately been condemned to the maximum penalty, one year in prison, for propaganda activity against the system," his lawyer Ali Rezai told the Ham Mihan newspaper website.

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“It is surprising that they have imposed the maximum sentence on Nikbakht, who is 73 years old," Rezai said.

He expressed hope that the verdict would be "overturned in the upcoming proceedings".

Nikbakht is not presently in custody, pending the appeal's outcome.

Amini's death sparked anti-regime protests 

Amini, originally hailing from Saqqez, had come to the capital Tehran with her family to visit relatives but was arrested by the morality police on September 13, 2022, for "improper hijab."

During her first two hours in detention, she suffered severe head injuries, prompting her transfer to a hospital in Tehran. On September 16, she died.

Her death sparked widespread protests against the Islamic Republic, making it one of the significant uprisings against clerical rule in Iran in the past 43 years.

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The enforcement authorities retaliated with one of the violent crackdowns during which over 500 people were killed and more than 22,000 were detained, according to rights groups.

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Though the demonstrations died down by early this year, some signs of sporadic disconnect were still visible in parts of the country.

For several months, women were seen openly flaunting the headscarf rule in Tehran and other cities, prompting a renewed crackdown over the summer.

(With inputs from agencies)

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