Iran Ex-Leader’s Daughter Sentenced to Prison Over Protests

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(Bloomberg) —

The daughter of a former Iranian president was sentenced to five years in prison after being arrested for her alleged role in anti-government protests, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

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Faezeh Hashemi, a former lawmaker and the daughter of ex-President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is also facing “other cases” in court, the semi-official Mehr news agency said, citing her lawyer Neda Shams.

She had been arrested for “inciting rioters” in September, days after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked nationwide unrest.

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A former journalist who has self-identified as a feminist, Hashemi has been arrested several times in the past for her pro-reform activism and for criticizing the Islamic Republic’s record on women’s rights. 

Iran Protest Crackdown Engulfs Prominent Child of Revolution (2)

This time, she was charged with collusion against national security, propaganda against the state and disrupting public order, according to an earlier report by Mehr. The ruling is not final, her lawyer said.

While her family background gives her a prominent public profile, her role in the protest movement has been far less significant than other Iranian household names in film and sport who’ve rallied supporters and broadcast developments to the outside world.

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Vocal Critic

Hashemi was elected to parliament in 1996, serving a term that started during her father’s tenure. 

She was detained during the 2009 presidential vote which triggered massive protests against the heavily disputed re-election of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and she served a prison sentence between 2012 and 2013.

Earlier this year, she was indicted on charges of propaganda against the state and sacrilege, following what state media reported as her defamatory comments against the Prophet Muhammad.

Mehdi, one of her younger brothers, has been serving a 10-year prison sentence since 2015. He was found guilty of embezzlement, taking bribes and security charges for being allegedly involved in national energy projects during his father’s presidency, according to Mehr.

(Updates with background and context about Hashemi.)