Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been sentenced to five years in prison for 'propaganda' Hashemi was arrested for her alleged role in anti-government protests. The former lawmaker is also facing “other cases” in court, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
In September state media reported that Hashemi had been arrested for "inciting riots" in Tehran. A wave of anti-hijab protests has rocked the country since September 2022 following the death of a 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini, who flout the country's strict dress code for women-- they've posed one of the biggest challenges to Iran's clerical rulers since the 1979 revolution.
"Following the arrest of Ms Faezeh Hashemi, she was sentenced to five years in prison but the sentence is not final," defence lawyer Neda Shams wrote on her Twitter account. “The decision, which is not final, was communicated to me on Wednesday, and we will appeal it within the time frame allowed by law,” her lawyer Neda Shams told AFP.
Hashemi was also arrested in 2012. She was banned from political activities for “anti-state propaganda” during the 2009 disputed presidential elections. Former president Rafsanjani was one of the founders of the Islamic Republic. Rafsanjani advocated for improved ties with the West.
