Maryam Akbari Monfared, a political prisoner, was released after serving 17 years in prison, even though under the Iranian regime’s own laws she should have been freed three years ago.
She was arrested during the January 2010 protests in Tehran and sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges including “acting against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “enmity against God through membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).” Akbari Monfared has three children.
In January 2024, after serving 13 years of her sentence, a new case was opened against her and she faced charges such as “propaganda against the regime,” “assembly and collusion against the country’s security,” “spreading falsehoods,” and “insulting the supreme leader.” As a result of this case, three more years were added to her sentence, and she was also sentenced to internal exile and confiscation of property.
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During her imprisonment, Maryam Akbari Monfared was held in Evin, Semnan, and Qarchak prisons, and over the course of 17 years she did not receive even one day of furlough.
Her pursuit of justice over the massacre of political prisoners in the 1980s, including members of her own family, has been one of the main reasons for the judicial pressure against her. Alireza and Gholamreza Akbari Monfared were executed in 1981 and 1985, and her sister Roghiyeh and another brother, Abdolreza, were executed in the summer of 1988 during the massacre of steadfast PMOI political prisoners.
Repeated case-building against Maryam Akbari
In January 2024, judicial authorities opened a new case against her. In this case, charges including assembly and collusion against the country’s security, spreading falsehoods, and insulting the supreme leader were raised. As a result of these charges, another three years were added to her sentence. Maryam Akbari’s release under such circumstances has raised questions about contradictions in the implementation of judicial rulings.
Throughout her imprisonment, she was held in various prisons including Evin, Semnan, and Qarchak. During this period, she did not receive even a single day of leave. This issue has repeatedly been raised by human rights organizations. Her prolonged separation from her children has also been one of the major dimensions of this case. Her release after all these years marks the end of one of the longest prison terms for a female political prisoner who remained steadfast to the very end.
Maryam Akbari Monfared’s family has also faced severe repression over past decades. Several members of her family were executed in different years. This issue was also taken into account in the handling of her case. Judicial authorities had cited alleged ties to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as one of the core accusations.
Prison conditions and reactions to her release
Maryam Akbari Monfared’s imprisonment was accompanied by numerous reports of physical and psychological pressure. Repeated transfers between prisons, communication restrictions, and deprivation of basic rights were among the reported issues. Her release after these conditions has prompted widespread reactions on social media.
Users have described her release as the result of years of steadfastness and resistance. Others, however, have pointed to the delay in enforcing the law. The release of this resilient woman has once again raised discussion about the condition of other political prisoners.
