Popular Young Poet Sentenced To Prison

On Tuesday, 16 August, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, presided by Judge Pirabbasi, sentenced Hila Sedighi, a young poet whose critical and political poems are admired by many, to 4 months in prison, to be postponed for five years. A day before her court appearance, she wrote on her Facebook page: “Revolutionary Court, I, [my] heart’s belief, the Judge, accusations, the onlooking God, and your well-wishing prayers…”

The young poet who was active in Mir Hossein Mousavi’s 2009 presidential election campaign was summoned to the Intelligence Ministry after the elections unrest in December 2010, and was questioned 10 to 12 hours daily. After her interrogations, she wrote on her Facebook page that she would prefer to remain silent and wait for her court to convene.

On 16 August, after her trial session, Hilla Sadighi wrote on her Facebook page that she will not object to the court ruling. She wrote: “The court session was well conducted today. I said what needed to be said, and it was heard. Judge Pirabbassi’s ruling was for 4 months of imprisonment, suspended for five years, and I won’t raise any objections to this ruling.” In another written piece, she reported that the travel ban order on her has been lifted and from now on she can easily travel abroad. She wrote: “But, I shall still remain… in this place, in my homeland, for my homeland… I am rooted here in this soil…”