Seven detained Iranian dervishes have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms by the Islamic Republic judiciary.
The Majzooban-e Noor website, the news source for Gonabadi Dervishes, reports that in addition to sentencing them to prison, Judge Salavati has also “banned the dervishes from membership in activist groups and from any form of media activity.”
Reza Moradi Sarvestani, the head of the Majzooban Noor website, has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail; Reza Entesari, a photojournalist for the site, has been given eight and a half years in jail, and the remaining detainees, all active on the website, have been given seven and a half years in jail.
The seven dervishes have been found guilty of “establishing the illegal organization Majzooban-e Noor in an attempt to disturb national security, propagate against the regime, insult the leader and disrupt public order.”
Iranian dervishes have become a target of persecution by Iranian authorities in recent years, and Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi has spoken in their support in the past year, calling on the Islamic Republic to stop imposing pressure on them.
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HRANA News Agency: Heavy sentences for 7 arrested Dervishes
7 Dervishes including administrators of Majzubane Nour website and lawyers of Dervishes have been sentenced to in total 56 years of prison.According to a report by Majouzabe Nour website, the branch 15 of the revolutionary court of Tehran has issued the sentences of 7 Dervishes who are under arrest since September 2011. There have been tens of administrators of Majzoubane Nour website, the official news agency of Gonabadi Dervishes, lawyers of Dervishes and Dervishes’ rights activists under arrest since almost 3 years ago.According to this report the sentences issued by judge Salavati are: Hamid Reza Sarvestani, the administrator of Majzoubane Nour website, 10 years and 6 months, Reza Entesari, the photographer and a member of the administration of Majzoubane Nour website, 8 years and 6 months, Mostafa Daneshju, the lawyer and a member of the administration of the Majzoubane Nour website, Farshid Yadollahi Farsi, the lawyer and a member of the administration of the Majzoubane Nour website, Amir Eslami, the lawyer and a member of the administration of the Majzoubane Nour website, Omid Behrouzi, the lawyer and a member of the administration of the Majzoubane Nour website and Afshin Karampour, the lawyer and a member of the administration of the Majzoubane Nour website, each one to 7 years and a half of prison.They have been also sentenced to 5 years of prevention from membership in political parties and groups and any kind of activities in presses and cyber space.They have been charged with forming the illegal group named Majzoubane Nour to act against the national security, propaganda against the regime, insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic and help to disturb the public order.They have abstained to take part in the courts and defend themselves in protest to the lack of proper due process.