Evin Prison; Shakila Monfared, A Political Prisoner is on Her Third Day of Hunger Strike

Hengaw; Thursday, August 1, 2024

Shakila Monfared, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been on a hunger strike for three days. As she approaches the fourth year of her prison sentence, she is facing new charges.

According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Shakila Monfared, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison in Tehran, has been on a hunger strike since Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in protest against a new case opened against her.

Informed sources say that recently a new case has been opened against Shakila Monfared by the Deputy Prosecutor of Branch 8 of Tehran's District Prosecutor's Office, accusing her of "property destruction and disturbing public order and peace."

In December 2023, this political prisoner was sentenced in absentia by Branch 26 of the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Iman Afshari, to 15 months in prison and exile outside Tehran, a travel ban, prohibition of membership in social and political groups, and prohibition of using a smartphone, on charges of "propaganda against the government." This sentence was later confirmed.

Previously, in February 2021, Shakila Monfared was sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to six years of imprisonment on charges of "propaganda activities against the regime and insulting Islamic sanctities," which was ultimately reduced to four years and two months.

In 2022, during another case while serving her sentence, she was sentenced by the Tehran Court of Appeals to two years and eight months in prison for "membership in anti-government groups" and fined 10 million Tomans for "spreading lies."

It is worth noting that Shakila Monfared was arrested by Iranian state forces in Tehran on August 31, 2020, and was transferred to Evin Prison after a while.