An appeals court upheld Gonabadi Dervish rights activist, Kasra Nouri’s four years and four months prison sentence.
According to Majzooban Noor, Kasra Nouri was sentenced at Branch 3 of Shiraz’s Revolutionary Court presided over by judge Rashidi to four years and four months imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the regime,” “acting against national security,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” “membership in the Majzooban Noor website,” and “interviewing with Radio Farda”. After his lawyers appealed against his sentence, Judges Zakernia and Akbari of Branch 16 of the appeals court confirmed the sentence imposed.
It is worth mentioning that, the court issued its final decision after five months of uncertainty in his file case.

His lawyer who was informed about the decision said, ” The ruling by the appeals court does not have the signature of Messrs. Zakernia and Akbari the two judges who were presiding over the Court of Appeal and was signed by a person whose identity is unknown as “Sharifi”. The appeals court approved the verdict, without considering our objections to the unfair term. Therefore the four years and four months prison sentence is final.”

It is notable that, last week, Ali Alghasi, Shiraz district’s public and Revolutionary Courts prosecutor by sending a letter to the Appeals Court demanded for aggravation of penalty.

Gonabadi Dervish, Kasra Nouri, has been arrested by security forces twice. Once he arrested on the morning of Wednesday 21 Dey ( Jan 11 , 2012 ) and after being held in Shiraz Intelligence Office’s Detention Center and Adel Abad prison for 46 days, was released on bail of 50 million. On 24th Esfand, 1390 ( Mar 14 , 2012 ) he was again arrested on the charge of interviews with foreign media Radio Farda. Then he was sentenced at Branch 3 of Shiraz’s Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Rashidi to four years and four months imprisonment.

The Revolutionary Court wrote in Nouri’s severe ruling that it was intended to prevent “irreparable consequences in society and especially as pertains the youth.” The ruling issued by the Shiraz Revolutionary Court also stated that Kasra Nouri’s activities “promoted the creation of new beliefs” and “made the atmosphere of society unsafe and promoted superstitions.”