A British woman has reportedly been sentenced to 20 years in
a hellhole Iranian prison for posting comments on Facebook allegedly
criticising the country’s leadership.
Roya Nobakht, 47, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was
arrested last October when she was visiting the south-western city of Shiraz.
She was accused of gathering crowds, putting national
security at risk and insulting Islam after criticising former Iranian supreme
leader the Ayatollah Khomeini on the social media site.
She is thought to have described the government as being
‘too Islamic’.
Ms Nobakht had been held at the notorious Evin prison in the
Iranian capital Tehran before being sentenced earlier this week.
It had been feared that Ms Nobakht could have faced the
death penalty.
The part-time student at Stockport College has dual
British-Iranian nationality and has been living with her husband for more than
six years.
A source close to the family said: “Roya is devastated. She
is not doing well.
“She is just a housewife and is not an activist. She has
said she would rather die than be there for 20 years.
“She has been tortured and the conditions at the prison are
terrible. She is under a lot of pressure.
“They have taken confession under duress that she has said
something against the Iranian republic.”
Mrs Nobakht, who is among eight people jailed in Iran this
week on charges of insulting the country’s leadership on Facebook, had been on
a three-week holiday to Iran last year to visit friends and family.
A family friend said her husband, Daryoush Taghipoor, 47,
had gone to meet her from Manchester Airport but she did not appear.
He spent two months in Iran searching mortuaries, hospitals
and police stations.
He was eventually told his wife was in prison because she
had not been respectful of Iran and he was allowed to visit her for 10 minutes.
Mr Taghipoor has not returned to Iran for fear of being
arrested himself.
Negotiations between the UK and Iranian governments have
been complicated since the British embassy in Tehran closed following the 2011
attacks by Iranian protesters.
Andrew Stunnell, MP for Hazel Grove, who has been fighting
the family’s cause, said: “Unfortunately the Iranian justice system is pretty
incomprehensible to us in the Western world.
“What we regard as fundamental human rights are regarded as
crimes and Roya is in the midst of it.
“It’s absolutely preposterous. The Iranians have pounced on
her and charged her with offences which would be laughed out of court here but
they have gone on to impose an outrageously large sentence.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware that a
British national has received a custodial sentence in Iran.
“We are seeking to establish the full facts and are
following up the case with the Iranian authorities.”
The case is the latest in a growing row over internet
freedom in Iran. Last week six young Iranians were arrested after they posted a
video online of their version of Pharrell William’s song Happy.
Source
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Moslem...violence religions
ReplyDeleteVicky darling, I'm sure you meant that Islam is a violent religion. Hmmm. Thank me now even though I agree with you on that.
Deleteu cant even spell any of the three words...olodo
DeleteNa wa
DeleteLol! You think violence religions is wrong? Or Moslem. Na una no go school. It are called sylistrick. She is counting Islam as one of the violence religions.
DeleteUr English is quite violent.
ReplyDeleteBLOG ANALYSER: lesson learnt, behave like Romans when in Rome.
ReplyDeleteExactly, that is the only best way to describe it, they fight for their god not their God fighting for them. What an irony.
ReplyDeleteAnd here we are in Nigeria, talking and criticising the govt and walking away freely
ReplyDeleteLet's call a spade a spade! If you cannot obey the laws of a country, then STAY OUT! She should have stayed in Britain since she has dual nationality.
ReplyDeleteIts like a someone coming to change the rules in your house! When in Rome behave like the romans!
Wow @ Vicky, you're so pretty but can't construct a simple sentence. "Islam..violent religion" would have been more appropriate.. I agree with you on your opinion though.
ReplyDeleteIslam religion of peace indeed
ReplyDeleteIslam religion of peace indeed
ReplyDeleteReligion of peace hmmmmmmmm confess religion, confess people
ReplyDeleteShe will learn to shut her dirty mouth, she knows Iran pretty well and should not have gone that far with her comments.
ReplyDeleteI pray God help her
Muslem region is just so violent. DERA MI
ReplyDeleteWhat a harsh judgement
ReplyDeleteMust you people shout Muslim,Islam on anyfin dat concerns muslims?na wa for una o,haven't you heard a yoruba adage dat says wat we do freely in our land is a taboo in another land,pls wat is her business in dier country's matter?can you people talkin allow a foreigner to come into yur country and rubbish yur Elders?answer nw,so put sentiments apart,wat she did was wrong as if som1 can insult dier queen inside dat Uk...arrogant people.
ReplyDeleteThat does not mean it is right she was arrested put in prison then sentenced to 20 years! Worst case scenario they should have turned her back at the border when she entered Iran ,not waste money prosecuting her,it all just sounds like a vendetta the Pope is insulted all the time (Sinead O'Conor even tore up his picture live on MTV) but what they did was ostracize her from the music industry for years NOT sentence her to a notorious prison with murderers & God only knows what else, this is so wrong of the Iranian government.
DeleteSo bcos of dat dey should torture her and sentence are 20yrs in prison? Its alarmingly barbaric mehn!
DeleteShe got what she deserves, they think it's how they come here and trash Nigeria or stay in their country and be trashing Nigeria as in they don't have problems and lapses in their system. Know it all busy body. Let her continue her ranting in the jail house.
ReplyDeleteHm all of u mocking mama peace and papa jo beware!!!
ReplyDelete