More than 41 years in prison and 200 lashes for seven guild activist teachers in North Khorasan

Breathing in Confinement – On charges of “forming an illegal group aimed at disrupting the national security and propaganda against the system,” seven guild activist teachers in North Khorasan convicted of a total of 41 years and 8 months in prison plus 222 lashes and a fine of 3 million toman by Bojnourd Revolutionary and Criminal Court.

According to the Teachers’ Trade Union Channel, on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, head of the Teachers Trade Union Board of Directors in North Khorasan, and Ali Foroutan, Saeed Haghparast, Hamid Reza Rajai and Hossein Ramezanpour Board’s members as well as Hassan Jouhari and Mustafa Robati the other members of Teachers Trade Union, were sentenced to a total of 41 years and 8 months in prison plus 222 lashes and a fine of 3 million toman by Bojnourd Revolutionary and Criminal Court

According to the report, Mohammad Reza Ramazanzadeh is sentenced to 15 years in prison, 74 lashes and a fine of about 3 million tomans as well as a ban on any activities in political parties. Hossein Ramezanpour is sentenced to a total of 8 years in prison, 74 lashes, and ban on any activities in political parties, Hamid Rajaei also to 4 years in prison and ban on activities in political parties, Ali Foroutan, Mostafa Robati, Saeed Haghparast, Hassan Jowhari have each been sentenced to 3 years and 8 months in prison.

It is noteworthy that in following the teachers’ protests in October and November 2018, seven teachers in North Khorasan were arrested who later was released on bail. According to the Teachers’ Trade Union, an absolutely fictitious five-volume dossier with over two thousand pages on false charges was filed against them by the intelligence office. And Bojnourd Revolutionary Court without going through the legal process convicted them. The preliminary verdicts were later upheld in the public appeal court.