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Iranian Journalist Sentenced to 7 Years for Covering Dervish Protest

by Michael Lipin

   An Iranian state-controlled news site says a journalist has been
   sentenced to seven years in prison for trying to cover anti-government
   protests by minority Gonadabi Dervishes in Tehran earlier this year.

   In an [1]article posted Thursday, the Ensaf news site said its
   correspondent learned that detained Iranian journalist Sadegh Qaisari
   recently informed his family of the punishments imposed on him by a
   judge in relation to his coverage of the protests. Ensaf said Qaisari
   told family members that in addition to a seven-year prison term, the
   judge ordered him to receive 74 lashes and banned him from media
   activities and leaving the country for two years.

   Ensaf also said Qaisari had been unable to choose his own defense
   lawyer. But its report did not detail the charges against Qaisari or
   explain how it obtained the information about his contacts with family
   members.

   Iranian rights activists have said police detained Qaisari when he went
   to the scene of Dervish anti-government protests that turned violent in
   Tehran on February 19 and 20. The activists said Qaisari is not Dervish
   and was reporting on the protests as part of his job.

   Prominent Iranian rights group [2]HRANA, which uses contacts inside
   Iran, posted a report about Qaisari on Friday, quoting Ensaf as saying
   he had been sentenced to seven years in prison. HRANA also quoted its
   own source, whom it described as familiar with Qaisari's situation, as
   saying the journalist has told family members that he needs medical
   treatment after having been struck on the head during his arrest.
   HRANA's source said Qaisari has been suffering from nighttime panic
   attacks while in detention at the Great Tehran Penitentiary south of
   the capital.

   The Dervish protesters involved in February's unrest had been demanding
   the release of arrested members of their community and the removal of
   security checkpoints around the house of their 90-year-old leader, Noor
   Ali Tabandeh. The protests escalated into clashes between police and
   the Dervishes, with five security personnel killed and authorities
   arresting more than 300 people.

   This report was produced in collaboration with [3]VOA's Persian
   Service.

   Michael covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV,
   specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on
   Twitter [4]@Michael_Lipin

References

   1. http://www.ensafnews.com/121300/%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%82-%D9%82%DB%8C%D8%B5%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-7-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF/
   2. https://www.hra-news.org/2018/hranews/a-16017/
   3. https://ir.voanews.com/
   4. https://twitter.com/Michael_Lipin