Iran: Theocratic authorities arrest Mahsa Amini’s uncle Safa Aeli for participation in the anti-Hijab protests

Iran’s right-wing organisation have reported that the uncle of Mahsa Amini whose custodial death prompted months of unrest in the country has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for criticism of government in 2022.

Safa Aeli, 30 was given a five-year and four-month prison sentence by the revolutionary court in Saqez, the family’s hometown in northwest Iran according to an American human rights news agency and the Norwegian Human Rights agency as well.

He was also subjected to penalties which included extremely unusual requirement that he had created a written biography of a security force member slain during the protests and then provide the judicial authorities with his own personal interpretation of the completed document Hengaw said.

He was then ordered to post a voice message about his work on his social media accounts and otherwise banned from expressing any views about the protests. Additionally, he faced sanctions as well.

Mahsa Amini, aged 22 died in hospital in September 2022 after being arrested for allegedly flouting the strict dress rules for women by the Gasht-e-Ershad, the morality police of Islamic Republic. Amini’s family and other activists say she was killed by ablow to her head while in custody, acclaim which is denied by Iranian officials.

Quoting family lawyer Saleh Nikbakht, the American media agency said that part of Aeli sentence was suspended and Aeli would have to serve three years and six months in prison. The charges against him include taking part in protests that violated international security that violated internal security, dissemination of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Aeli was released on bail a month after his arrests shook Iran’s Islamic authorities, but now subsided in th face of a crackdown in which human rights group said hundreds were killed and the UN tallied thousands arrested. Nine men have been executed in cases related to protests, according to rights groups. Iranian authorities say dozens of security personnel were also killed in what they describe as riots incited by the foreign governments and hostile media.