In Tehran, a court has upheld a sentence against Alireza Alinejad, the brother of the outspoken women's rights activist's Masih Alinejad, his attorney said.
"Branch 36 of the Appeals Court in Tehran province has upheld eight-year jail sentence for Alireza Alinejad, regardless of our objections," says Alireza's lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, adding, "I have decided to publish the defense bills soon."
Alireza Alinejad is the brother of Masih Alinejad, an opposition activist in the United States. She has initiated popular campaigns against compulsory hijab in Iran.
Masih believes that the reason for Alireza's arrest and conviction is his family ties to her, and that Iranian intelligence agents filed the lawsuit against Alireza because of her activities.
Branch 2 of the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Tehran condemned Alireza to five years in prison for "conspiracy to act against the security of the country," two years in prison for "insulting the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," and one year in jail for "propaganda against the regime."
However, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the most severe punishment, i.e., five years in prison, applies to him.
Earlier in July, in an exclusive interview with Radio Farda, Masih alleged that sentencing her brother to prison in Iran, exerting pressure on her family, and other threats would not silence her.
Masih, who is in self-exile in New York, is one of the most significant Iranian activists in rejecting compulsory hijab and defending women's rights. She had a strong presence on social media and following in Iran.