Group condemns sentence for activist’s wife

    The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has condemned the jail sentence handed to Masoomeh Dehghan by Iranian authorities.

Dehghan is the wife of Iranian human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani, and the observatory emphasizes that the Iranian judiciary's actions are part of a systematic policy of silencing human rights defenders and their families.   The observatory issued a statement on November 20 to condemn the prison sentence for Dehghan, who was charged with "propaganda against the regime" and sentenced to one year in jail and a five-year ban from leaving the country. Dehghan's jail term has been suspended for five years.   The court based its verdict on Dehghan's two trips to Nuremberg, where she received a human rights award on behalf of her incarcerated husband. Dehghan has 20 days to appeal the verdict.   Masooemh Dehghan's husband, Adolfattah Soltani, is currently in Evin Prison, serving a 13 year sentence for his human rights activities, which the Iranian judiciary has deemed a threat to national security.   Source: Radio Zamaneh